A Fading Figure of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With A Dip in Form
The intense spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.
Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his subpar performances this campaign - and was placed on the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive rock as Liverpool have swept up the array of major trophies, whose struggles came under the microscope during the draw.
The Seasoned Stars and New Deals
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a veteran duo much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.
Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that levels have fallen worryingly for both.
Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Costly Refit
Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer refit that has still to demonstrate anything like its worth.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem
It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before backing away and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.
"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 was impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and hesitating."
Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be written off after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a stellar Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative.
Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was indicative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.
Liverpool Devoid of Ideas
Slot persisted 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under even more pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish.
Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.
Praise Deserved and The Road Forward
Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson fortunate 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 devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled.
But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were proactive, confident and dangerous.
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 time for reflection.
