Liverpool's lackluster performance continued on the evening of 3/12 at Anfield, as they conceded first after an error by Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch defender made a poor pass in his own half, allowing Le Fee to steal the ball and pass to Chemsdine Talbi. Talbi dribbled twice before shooting from 25 meters, the ball deflecting off Van Dijk and allowing Sunderland to open the scoring.

Liverpool then fortunately equalized when Florian Wirtz's shot deflected off Nordi Mukiele, and was ruled an own goal by the Sunderland defender.

"I haven't criticized Van Dijk much this season, but today I cannot defend him. He must bear significant responsibility," Nicol said on ESPN.

Chemsdine Talbi's shot deflected off Virgil van Dijk, whose back was turned, allowing Sunderland to open the scoring in their 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, Merseyside, England on 3/12. Photo: Shutterstock

Born in 1961, Nicol is a former Scottish right-back who played for Liverpool from 1981-1994, winning five English league titles, three FA Cups, and one European Cup. After leaving Anfield, Nicol played for several English clubs before moving to the US to coach and is currently an ESPN commentator.

The former Scottish player analyzed the play that led to Liverpool's conceded goal. "Van Dijk passed to McAllister's position, but his teammate didn't anticipate the pass. When he made the error, he should have charged forward to correct his mistake," he said. "However, instead of actively closing down, he retreated, even though Kerkes had tucked in to assist. When Talbi shot, Van Dijk also didn't put his foot out to block, but just turned his body. He did everything wrong."

Nicol also stated that Van Dijk's error almost led to Liverpool conceding in the 4th minute of stoppage time. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs launched a long ball for Wilson Isidor to break free, beat Alisson, and shoot into an empty net. However, substitute Federico Chiesa made a determined effort to chase back and clear the danger off the line.

"If you want to push forward, first you must ensure the defense behind you is stable. But Van Dijk just casually stepped forward, without observing anything," Nicol stated. "A captain must be an organizer and set an example. Tonight, Van Dijk failed to do that."

Wilson Isidor beat Alisson and shot, but Federico Chiesa blocked it off the line. Photo: Shutterstock

The 1-1 draw extended Liverpool's lackluster run of form. Since beating Tottenham 5-1 in late April and securing enough points to win the Premier League, Arne Slot's team has only earned 23 points from 18 league matches. They have also won only three of their last 14 matches across all competitions and have not won their last three matches at Anfield.

Slot admitted Liverpool has lost some of its fear factor at Anfield. "It's not that Anfield has lost its special quality, but it's clear that teams coming here now believe they can get a good result," the Dutch manager said. "And this season's reality has shown that. Even in matches we won, the results were not easy, inadvertently giving opponents more confidence that they have a chance against Liverpool."

In the 15th round of the Premier League on 7/12, Liverpool will visit Leeds, a club that recently beat Chelsea 3-1.