£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.
WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION
Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.
Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.
The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.
French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.
“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”
Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.
His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.
Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.
He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.
But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.
Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”
JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE
Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.
Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.
They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.
On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.
Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.
With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.
As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.