A Shadow of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form
The glaring focus that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the array of major trophies, whose dip in performance became the focus during the 1-1 draw.
The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of handing contracts to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that standards have dropped worryingly for both.
A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return.
Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m transfer 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 renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as highlighted by his rash handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
A Sequence That Symbolized The Issue
It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and turning away on a 25-yard shot that hit him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.
Bad luck at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just backs off. It's the incorrect choice. 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 commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."
Statistical Decline and A Lack of Command
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries per game during his Liverpool career, while tackles and interceptions are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the throat.
Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an emergency striker, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.
A Team Without Inspiration
Slot kept faith with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more watching from the sidelines.
The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under greater pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale.
Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's outstanding recovery run 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 fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed.
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 superb management of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were positive, self-believing and threatening.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative of the manner in which they have grown into 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 a case of going back to basics.
