A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form

The unforgiving spotlight that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the array of major prizes, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions

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 securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the stark fact that levels have fallen alarmingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown anything like value for money.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has held since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Encapsulated The Struggle

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away and turning away 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 peculiar tendency 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 unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"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 faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating."

Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded after claiming two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a stellar Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the worst recoveries 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 motivating a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the throat.

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

Liverpool Lacking 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after scoring his first 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.

Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat 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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to accept the 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 lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.

But huge credit 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 positive, assured and threatening.

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

For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.