While Liverpool managed to salvage a point against Sunderland despite their lethargic performance in a 1-1 Premier League draw on Wednesday, the match felt like a setback after the champions' encouraging 2-0 victory over West Ham United last weekend, Reuters reported. 

Florian Wirtz's deflected shot in the 81st minute spared Liverpool's blushes of what would have been a dreadful 10th defeat in their last 14 games across all competitions in a season of one step forward, several steps back for Arne Slot's side.

"Far too many times this season we don't concede a lot of chances but the ones that we do go in," a stony-faced Slot told the BBC. "We weren't lucky enough to get the win over the line, but in recent weeks we would have lost this game so that is a positive."