Liverpool head into the matchup with Sunderland at a moment that doesn’t match the club’s ambition. Even after beating West Ham, Arne Slot’s team have won only four of their last thirteen games and sit just eighth in the Premier League.
Liverpool try to respond while dealing with a worrying drop in form
The Reds’ season so far has been a collection of doubts. Arne Slot hasn’t hidden the fact that the team lost intensity and consistency, and the recent instability makes it clear Liverpool still haven’t found a reliable rhythm. The win over West Ham was welcome, but it doesn’t change the bigger picture of a side that mixes strong performances with troubling lapses.
The table exposes that inconsistency. Liverpool trail opponents who, at least on paper, should be competing in the same bracket, but who right now look far more stable. Even so, there’s one powerful argument in Liverpool’s favor, the history. They haven’t lost to Sunderland in ten Premier League meetings, with six wins and four draws since 2012. And Anfield only strengthens that advantage, since Sunderland haven’t beaten the Reds there in a league match since 1983. That kind of stat weighs heavily for a team under pressure and in need of stability.
The demand for a response comes not only from the table but from inside the club. Arne Slot is close to reaching fifty wins in charge, an important milestone, but one that loses shine when the collective form is so uneven. Wednesday’s matchup could be the turning point Liverpool need to regain confidence.
Sunderland thrive at home but collapse when they travel
Sunderland arrive in a situation completely different from what anyone expected at the start of the season. The 3–2 win over Bournemouth, after falling behind 2–0, sent a clear message that Le Bris’s team doesn’t crumble under pressure. Enzo Le Fee, Bertrand Traore and Brian Brobbey stepped up in a match that boosted the club’s morale and ended a winless stretch in the Premier League.
Their position in the table confirms that growth. Sunderland sit in sixth, ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle. The results aren’t luck, but the work of a team that found its identity quickly after returning to the top flight. Even so, the trip to Anfield exposes their biggest challenge, playing away from home. Sunderland have the second-worst away attack in the league, with only three goals scored on the road, and they’ve gone five straight matches without keeping a clean sheet.