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

The unforgiving focus that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night.

The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of major trophies, whose struggles became the focus during the 1-1 draw.

The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the prospect of securing the futures to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

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

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown anything like a good return.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has possessed 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 failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Summed Up The Issue

It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just drops 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

Statistical Decline and A Lack of Command

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 illustrious Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries per game during his Liverpool career, while tackles and interceptions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating 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 emergency striker, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

A Team Devoid of Spark

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

The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked 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 deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale.

Stoppage-time tension 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a point 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 slow, labored and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.

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

The Black Cats were proactive, assured and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have grown into 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.