A Shadow of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Fights A Dip in Form
The intense spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was placed on the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the array of major prizes, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate.
The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that standards have dropped alarmingly for both.
Backline Issues and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a £450m summer refit that has still to demonstrate anything like a good return.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has carried since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as highlighted by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Summed Up The Problem
It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.
"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs off. It's the wrong decision. He needs to go to the ball. Him not making the decision means that no one else knows what to do."
"Virgil Van Dijk last season couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."
Statistical Decline and Missing Leadership
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded after claiming two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a glittering Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the worst recoveries per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the throat.
Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an emergency striker, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm.
A Team Lacking Ideas
Slot kept faith with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines.
The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.
A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had rounded keeper Alisson.
Credit Due and The Road Forward
Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson blessed to turn Trai Hume's shot onto the bar in the first half before Omar Alderete headed against the post after the interval.
Liverpool were lethargic, ponderous and short on invention. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled.
But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were positive, assured and threatening.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have grown into life in the Premier League that they will be disappointed they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.
