The intense attention that has centered around one global Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.
Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the complete set of major trophies, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate.
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the idea of offering extensions to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start.
Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team began a £450m summer refit that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money.
At the same time, 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 received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.
Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.
"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 dominant, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature 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 faded version 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 motivating a team that once again looked lost to take control by the initiative.
Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.
Slot stayed with the side that ended 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 failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after getting off the mark 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.
A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.
Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to take a point 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 lethargic, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed.
But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.
The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and dangerous.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling 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 back to the drawing board.
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