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

The unforgiving attention that has centered around one elite Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's most recent frustrating night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the complete set of top honors, whose poor form took center stage 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 question asked at the prospect of securing the futures to a veteran duo much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.

Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Costly Refit

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

Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has held since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Encapsulated The Issue

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that struck him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Bad luck at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be written off 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the initiative.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was indicative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

A Team Without Inspiration

Slot kept faith with the side that halted 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 pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish.

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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 sluggish, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled.

But significant praise 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 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 indicative of the manner in which they have grown into life in the Premier League that they will be disappointed they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.