A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form

The unforgiving attention that has centered around one global Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night.

The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the array of top honors, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the draw.

The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the notion of securing the futures to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the brutal reality that standards have dropped concerningly for both.

Backline Issues and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like value for money.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Summed Up The Issue

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted 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 disadvantage.

Misfortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 was impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating."

The Numbers and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed after securing 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 worst recoveries per game during his Liverpool career, while tackles and interceptions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's preserve alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing 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 emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm.

A Side Devoid of Spark

Slot persisted with the side that stopped 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after opening his account 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 thrilling finale.

A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat 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.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to accept the 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 sluggish, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title 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 proactive, confident and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have grown into 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 a case of going back to basics.