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

The intense focus that has centered around one elite Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of major prizes, whose poor form became the focus during the stalemate.

The Experienced Pair and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before retreating 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 unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Ill fortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."

The Numbers and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be written off after securing 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 dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to take control by the initiative.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

A Team Without Spark

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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after opening his account 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 avoided defeat 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 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 lethargic, unimaginative and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.

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

The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and threatening.

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.