A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With A Dip in Form

The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing 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 the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the array of major prizes, whose struggles came under the microscope during the 1-1 draw.

The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of securing the futures to a experienced stars 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 harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both.

Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return.

Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to lose the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated 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 Struggle

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before retreating and averting his body 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 curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."

Statistical Decline and Missing Leadership

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 illustrious Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual imperious self this season, with the poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the initiative.

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

A Side Without Ideas

Slot persisted 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 looked to him for inspiration. It never came, 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 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.

Late drama came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back 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 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, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally 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 rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, assured and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have adapted to life in the Premier League that they will be unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is time for reflection.