A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Fights A Dip in Form
The unforgiving spotlight that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was placed on the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of top honors, whose poor form became the focus during the 1-1 draw.
The Veteran Duo and New Deals
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of securing the futures to a veteran duo much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that standards have dropped alarmingly for both.
Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like its worth.
Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as highlighted by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Encapsulated The Problem
It was exemplified 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 hit 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 detriment.
Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.
"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs 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 commanding, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating."
The Numbers and A Lack of Command
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded after claiming 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 dominant persona 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative 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 last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm.
Liverpool Lacking Inspiration
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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.
Slot would have been under increased scrutiny 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.
Late drama 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.
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 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 lethargic, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart.
But full acknowledgment 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 superb management of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and threatening.
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 unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.
