Alisson and Liverpool Know a Win is Desperately Needed at Sunderland

Anfield’s mood has darkened. A weekend in which Liverpool surrendered a winning position to Manchester City and then watched their top-four rivals falter against lesser lights has left Jürgen Klopp’s successors with no place to hide. Wednesday’s assignment at the Stadium of Light—against the only Premier League side still unbeaten on its own patch—now carries the weight of a season.

“It is a big disappointment because we understand that we deserved a better result,” goalkeeper Alisson Becker said, reflecting on the 3-2 loss at the Etihad. “But that’s part of football. In a few moments we allowed the opponent to have chances and at this level they are clinical, they are Man City. They punish you when you don’t make everything right.”

The punishment has been swift. Dropping points from a winning position against the champions, coupled with slips elsewhere in the race for next season’s Champions League places, has intensified scrutiny on a side that began the campaign as title defenders yet enters February still searching for identity. Arne Slot’s second year at the helm was expected to bring transition, not a full-blown stumble, and the travelling support’s patience is fraying.

Anything less than a commanding victory over Sunderland, Alisson concedes, will invite “very negative reactions.” The Black Cats, mired in the bottom half, have nevertheless made the Stadium of Light a fortress: no visitor has left with maximum points this term. For Liverpool, that record is irrelevant. Three points are non-negotiable.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game,” Alisson stressed. “Every Premier League game is a tough game to play. It’s a really intense team, physical, but technically good, tactically well-organised. They defend really well, they got good results against big clubs as well. We’re going to have to work hard if we want the three points.”

Hard work, at this stage, may not be enough. With the season’s final stretch looming, Liverpool’s margin for error has vanished. A single misstep on Wearside could define a campaign that once promised so much.