A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Fights A Dip in Form
The intense attention that has fallen upon one world-class Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night.
Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was placed on the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major prizes, whose struggles became the focus during the draw.
The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair 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 stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both.
Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul
Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like value for money.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to lose the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has faced additional challenges 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 demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Symbolized The Struggle
It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that struck him and looped 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 cost.
Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"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 second-guessing himself."
Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded after securing 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 dominant persona 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the initiative.
Van Dijk's poor display, 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 exception rather than the norm.
A Side Devoid of Spark
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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after opening his account 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 taken a deflection 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 saved from humiliation in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's excellent defensive sprint allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had beaten keeper Alisson.
Credit Due and Looking Ahead
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, labored and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.
But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were adventurous, assured 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 adapted to 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.
