£116M FLORIAN WIRTZ DENIED FIRST LIVERPOOL GOAL BY MUKIELE OWN GOAL
Florian Wirtz was denied his debut Liverpool goal after the PL panel ruled it a Nordi Mukiele own goal. Wirtz's impact was crucial in the 1-1 draw.
Florian Wirtz was denied his first Liverpool goal when their tie against Sunderland was ruled as a Nordi Mukiele own goal. Wirtz thought he'd scored after dribbling past Sunderland's defence and firing a shot that deflected into the net.
Initially, the goal seemed to be given to Wirtz, though his muted celebration suggested he suspected otherwise. Replays confirmed his shot was heading wide before Mukiele's touch.
The Premier League officially gave the goal to Mukiele as an own goal with a post to X reading: The goal accreditation panel has adjudged Liverpool’s 81st-minute goal as a Mukiele own goal. This means the £116 million signing is still waiting for his first goal. However, Wirtz was more concerned with the draw result.
Doesn't matter today; we drew and wanted to win today. "We were unlucky," he said.
Sunderland took the lead in the second half through Chemsdine Talbi. Liverpool, who were on track for their tenth loss in 14 games, fought back into the game thanks to Wirtz.
Wirtz went on a great run into the box, beat several defenders, and got a shot on target.
Replays confirmed. Mukiele heavily deflected the ball, leaving the keeper with no chance.
So far, Wirtz has only contributed assists since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million. Even without scoring, Wirtz has been playing well.
He was great in the 2-0 win against West Ham United and stood out in their draw on Wednesday.
After the West Ham game, Arne Slot praised Wirtz but made sure to mention the overall teamwork.
"The team played a very good game," said the Liverpool coach.
I'm often asked about individual players when they haven't played up to their usual level, and I always point to the team.
Florian was great, but the entire team played better.
We wanted to add an extra midfielder, and he helped us do that.
He dribbled well, made good one-touch passes, and passed to Cody, which didn't result in a shot, but we had many similar moments, and he was part of them.
The performance staff kept telling me he needed to be subbed because he'd been out for a week and a half and only trained once. Keeping him in was a risk, but some situations need exceptions, and today was one of them. The 1-1 draw puts Liverpool in 8th place, 11 points behind Arsenal.
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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