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

The intense spotlight that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.

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

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major prizes, whose struggles took center stage during the draw.

The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that levels have fallen alarmingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer refit that has yet to prove anything like value for money.

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

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his desperate handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Symbolized The Issue

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

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

Ill fortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk loses the ball 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 was impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."

Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded after claiming 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 commanding presence 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the throat.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.

A Side Without Inspiration

Slot stayed 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.

Late drama came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a point 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 lethargic, ponderous and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown has fallen apart.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, assured 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 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.