Liverpool Held by Sunderland as Statistical Trends Deepen

Pressing Data Shows Why Liverpool Struggled to Control the Match

Two more points slipped away for Liverpool at Anfield, a result that brought familiar frustration. The 1-1 draw against Sunderland was Liverpool’s first since the Community Shield, and it arrived with an uncomfortable sense of repetition. The newly promoted visitors kept their composure, slowed the pace and never allowed Liverpool to build the kind of pressure that usually breaks teams apart.

After the momentum created by the win over West Ham, the expectation was that Liverpool would play with greater sharpness. Instead, Sunderland were given space to build from deep, and Liverpool’s press rarely disturbed them. The atmosphere inside Anfield reflected that lack of intensity.

Liverpool produced 23 shots, yet the average shot quality of 0.06 captured the story far better. Their total of 1.34 expected goals was modest for a side that managed 34 touches in the penalty area. The problem was clear. The touches were there, the decisions were not. Too many efforts missed the target, and too few moments carried real conviction.

Sunderland, meanwhile, left satisfied. Their balance in possession, their discipline without the ball and their organisation inside the box all fed into a performance that fully earned a point.