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

The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one global Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his struggles this season - and was consigned to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the array of top honors, whose struggles became the focus during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a experienced stars much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the stark fact that levels have fallen concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like value for money.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m transfer 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 not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his desperate 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 exemplified 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 floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the finale, 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 backs off. 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 was impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."

The Numbers and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded 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 pale imitation of his usual commanding presence 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the standard.

Liverpool Without Spark

Slot persisted with the side that ended a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on 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 anonymous after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in 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 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved 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, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled.

But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, 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 adapted to 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 a case of going back to basics.