A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With Waning Influence

The glaring spotlight that has fallen upon one global Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's latest disappointing night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his struggles this season - and was relegated to the bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major prizes, whose struggles took center stage during the 1-1 draw.

The Veteran Duo and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the brutal reality that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like a good return.

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

Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Encapsulated The Issue

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk losing possession before retreating and turning away 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 peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

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 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 was impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

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 illustrious Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a faded version 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 packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative 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 last-ditch attacker, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the norm.

Liverpool Without Inspiration

Slot stayed 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet 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 grandstand finish.

A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's excellent defensive sprint allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had rounded keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a point 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 sluggish, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed.

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 excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and dangerous.

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 a case of going back to basics.