A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With Decline
The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one global Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the full collection of top honors, whose poor form became the focus during the 1-1 draw.
The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
In fact, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the stark fact that performance has dipped concerningly for both.
Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Costly Refit
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like a good return.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has held since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
A Moment That Summed Up The Issue
It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before retreating and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops 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 was faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."
The Numbers and A Leadership Void
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be dismissed after winning two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a glittering Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual imperious self this season, with the poest ball recovery rate 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 brimming with experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to take control by the throat.
Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an emergency striker, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard.
A Side Lacking Spark
Slot kept faith with the side that ended a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more watching from the sidelines.
The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under greater pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish.
Late drama 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 beaten keeper Alisson.
Credit Due and The Road Forward
Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to accept the 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 slow, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has fallen apart.
But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were positive, confident and a genuine threat.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have embraced life in the Premier League that they will be frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.