Liverpool’s crisis continues

Alexander Isak’s expression says it all: Liverpool’s game is not going. EPA / AOP

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was forced to make tough decisions. The Reds’ game hasn’t really gone all fall, so something had to be done.

The Dutch pilot did not shy away from the obvious – although certainly difficult – solution.

He left the star striker Mo Salah’s to the bench for Sunday’s visit to West Ham. The end result was a 2–0 away win.

One of the unwritten rules of Brittifutis is that the winning team cannot be changed.

That’s why Salah continued on the bench on Wednesday as well, when Liverpool faced Sunderland at home in the evening game. Already barked at as a flop purchase Alexander Isak took his place at the top of the Reds.

Sunderland survived the break with some luck without setbacks. In practice, Liverpool would have had to win so that the places qualifying for the Champions League would not slip away too far.

That’s why Slot finally sent Salah on the field when the second period started. The Egyptian replaced Cody Gakpon in the home team’s lineup, but despite that, Sunderland scored the first goal.

Moroccan Chemsdine Talbi shot the ball Virgil van Dijk’s to the back, from where it bounced in a handsome arc to the back corner.

If Sunderland had held on to their lead until the final whistle, they would have suffered their tenth loss to Liverpool in the last 14 games.

This time, however, complete disaster was avoided because Florian Wirtz danced with the ball past a couple of defenders and then scraped the piece of play through the neighbor’s foot jungle and into the net.

It would have been the German star’s first goal as a Liverpool player, but after review it was “given” to Sunderland Nordi Mukielen own goal.

Referee Stuart Attwell gave no less than seven minutes of extra time. The best scoring position fell to the guests during that time, but Wilson Isondor failed to pass through. Liverpool fans can thank the leading man who saved the situation from the goal line Federico Chiesa from a draw.

The final numbers 1–1 show in a harsh way that Liverpool’s crisis is not over yet.

Premier League leader Arsenal beat Brentford 2-0 at home. At the same time, it maintained its five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

Mikel Merino scored the winning goal after only ten minutes of play. You had to wait for the second goal to make it easier until the extra time of the second period, when Bukayo Saka completed the final numbers of the evening.