Van Dijk is labelled as 'lazy' after Pulisic's equaliser

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was slammed for being 'lazy' in the build-up to Christian Pulisic's equaliser at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds were held to a 2-2 draw on Sunday after they squandered a two-goal advantage to allow Chelsea to snatch a point.

Liverpool has taken the lead just 10 minutes into the game when Sadio Mane capitalised on a defensive error by Trevoh Chalobah before Mohamed Salah put the Reds in control with a wonder goal.

But Chelsea managed to claw the score back to level in the final minutes of the first half thanks to Mateo Kovacic and Pulisic.

The American cooly slotted home the equaliser just before the break when he found himself in acres of space.

Centre back colossus Van Dijk has been accused of 'lazy' defending after Pulisic's goal.

Former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness questioned why the Dutchman did not make more of an effort to get across to block the shot.

Speaking at half-time on Sky Sports, Souness said: 'Why has Van Dijk not come across there?

'He's just running in a straight line back to his goal.

'Come over, come over, come over - he's not even sprinting.'

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was also left baffled by Van Dijk's effort, adding: 'It's lazy, isn't it?'

Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, blamed Liverpool's entire defensive play as he insisted the Reds' 'obsession' with playing offside and keeping in line was why they got caught out.

Carragher said: 'They've got an obsession, Liverpool's centre-backs, you see this a lot where they always stay in line with each other.

'They never cover each other - there's an obsession with playing offside.

'We noticed that right throughout the game, the space between the two centre-backs is too big.

'Initially, his starting position, Van Dijk, because he's not intense enough to get over, he doesn't want to cover his other centre-back.

'He stays in the same line, and that's why he's too far to get across.'

In the second half, Gary Neville chimed in on co-commentary as he suggested Liverpool's defensive line was 'too high' and claimed Van Dijk looked 'uncomfortable'.

Premier League champions Man City are running away at the top of the table as Liverpool and Chelsea's stalemate sees Kevin de Bruyne and co move 11 points clear.