A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With A Dip in Form

The unforgiving attention that has centered around one global Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the full collection of top honors, whose poor form took center stage during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that performance has dipped concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like its worth.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has carried since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Encapsulated The Struggle

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

For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. It's the incorrect choice. 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 faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded after winning two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a faded version 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 missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the throat.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an makeshift forward, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the standard.

Liverpool Without Spark

Slot kept faith with the side that ended a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines.

The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective 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 been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish.

Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's outstanding recovery run allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had dribbled past keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 slow, unimaginative and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.

But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, self-believing and dangerous.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have embraced 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.