Struggle was no big surprise

IN A SEASON WHERE EVERYTHING IS BEING QUESTIONED, THIS PASSIVE HOME DRAW RAISED FEW EYEBROWS

- By PAUL GORST at Anfield

IN A SEASON WHERE EVERYTHING IS BEING QUESTIONED, THIS PASSIVE HOME DRAW RAISED FEW EYEBROWS

(LIVERPOOL FC VIA GETTY IMAGES)

PERHAPS the most shocking thing about Liverpool's latest setback - and that is what a 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland must be viewed as - was that it was no real shock at all. In fact nothing, in this most misshapen of seasons, truly surprises anymore.

So failure to beat an upwardly mobile Sunderland side, one who have shown no respect to reputations upon their return to the big time, should raise very few eyebrows. And that, at its core, is the most worrying aspect for Arne Slot, who saw his team fail to build on the semblance of normality that was provided by Sunday's 2-0 win at West Ham United.

Just three wins in the last 14 fixtures across all competitions is cause for grave concern. The longer it continues, the more forlorn hopes of Champions League qualification become, and while it is not exactly out of sight right now, a continuation of this sort of sequence will have the European Cup and its accompanying riches drifting towards the horizon before long.

Liverpool are lucky there are fluctuations of form and fortunes right throughout the top half. They actually closed the gap on third-place Chelsea here, who lost 3-1 to Saturday's hosts Leeds United. That trip to Elland Road suddenly looks more daunting than ever.