Liverpool needed a late own goal to rescue a point after Sunderland threatened to pile even more pressure on head coach Arne Slot at Anfield.
Sunderland took a deserved lead after 67 minutes when Chemsdine Talbi’s 25-yard shot deflected off Virgil van Dijk and beyond the reach of Alisson.
Sunderland had already raised the warning signals – as Alisson was fortunate to turn Trai Hume’s shot on the bar in the first half before Omar Alderete headed against the post after the interval.
Slot once again left Mohamed Salah on the bench after Sunday’s win at West Ham United, but brought the Egyptian on at the start of the second half to try to bring spark into a lifeless Liverpool performance.
Alex Mac Allister had hit the woodwork in the first half with a rare Liverpool threat and it took a fortuitous own goal to avoid another damaging defeat when Florian Wirtz’s shot was deflected in off Nordi Mukiele with nine minutes left.
Sunderland almost snatched victory in stoppage time when substitute Wilson Isidor raced clear but Federico Chiesa got back to clear his shot off the line.
Slot’s Premier League champions were heading for more Anfield embarrassment until a late slice of good fortune gave them a point.
Liverpool, having returned to winning ways at West Ham United on Sunday, looked to be slumping to another damaging Anfield loss as Sunderland carried on their outstanding form with a superb display.
Slot’s team were short of ideas, with even the half-time introduction of Mohamed Salah failing to inspire them at a subdued Anfield.
Wirtz looked like he had claimed his first Liverpool goal, but the deflection off Mukiele was decisive, leaving Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs helpless.
With Alexander Isak back to being anonymous, Liverpool’s threats were scarce and it was only substitute Chiesa who spared them the ignominy of defeat with a stoppage-time clearance off the line.
If the win at West Ham had offered hope that Liverpool were out of their wretched spell after nine defeats in 12 games, they were back to mediocrity once more here.
