A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With A Dip in Form

The unforgiving focus that has centered around one elite Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.

The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the full collection 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 agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of securing the futures to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that levels have fallen worryingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee embarked on a £450m summer refit that has still to demonstrate anything like its worth.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as proved by his rash handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before retreating and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. It's the mistake. 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be dismissed after winning 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 commanding presence this season, with the poest ball recovery rate 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the initiative.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an makeshift forward, was indicative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.

A Team Devoid of Spark

Slot persisted with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines.

The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet 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 been turned in 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 spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's excellent defensive sprint 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 accept the 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 slow, labored and short on invention. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 adapted to 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.