A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form

The intense spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the complete set of top honors, whose poor form took center stage during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that standards have dropped concerningly for both.

Backline Issues and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee embarked on a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like value for money.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped 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 proved by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Summed Up The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted 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 cost.

Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk loses the ball 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 commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."

Statistical Decline and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed 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 shadow 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 brimming with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to take control by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.

Liverpool Devoid of Ideas

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

The Egyptian came on 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 opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater pressure 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.

A late scare 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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and The Road Forward

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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 typical final push after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled.

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

The Black Cats were positive, confident and threatening.

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 unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is a case of going back to basics.