A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With Decline

The glaring focus that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.

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

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the array of major trophies, whose poor form became the focus during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that standards have dropped concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown 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 switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Encapsulated The Problem

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

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an curious trait of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

Misfortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. It's the incorrect choice. 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 dominant, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded 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 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to take control by the initiative.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard.

A Side Devoid of Inspiration

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

The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under even more pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not deflected in 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 spared embarrassment 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending 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 sluggish, ponderous and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown has fallen apart.

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 fine work 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 symptomatic 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 time for reflection.