A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Fights A Dip in Form
The glaring attention that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his subpar performances this season - and was placed on the bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major prizes, whose struggles took center stage during the 1-1 draw.
The Seasoned Stars and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both.
Backline Issues and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team began a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to shed the aura of invulnerability he has carried since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
A Sequence 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 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 proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of shying 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 atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. It's the mistake. 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 dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."
Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be dismissed after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual commanding presence 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 brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.
A Side Lacking Ideas
Slot stayed 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 pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.
Stoppage-time tension 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.
Credit Due and The Road Forward
Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.
But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were proactive, confident and a genuine threat.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative of the manner in which they have embraced 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 a case of going back to basics.
