A Fading Figure of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With Waning Influence
The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his subpar performances this season - and was placed on the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of major prizes, whose poor form came under the microscope during the draw.
The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked 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 cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped alarmingly for both.
Backline Issues and A Costly Refit
Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee embarked on a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like value for money.
At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
A Moment That Symbolized The Problem
It was encapsulated 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 turning his back on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"Van Dijk loses the ball 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 impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's making mistakes and second-guessing himself."
Statistical Decline and A Lack of Command
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded after claiming 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 lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while key defensive stats are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's preserve alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the initiative.
Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard.
A Team Without Ideas
Slot persisted with the side that ended a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines.
The Egyptian was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous 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 taken a deflection 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 spared embarrassment 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 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 sluggish, ponderous and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.
But significant praise 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 excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were adventurous, 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 time for reflection.