A Shadow of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With A Dip in Form

The intense attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the complete set of major trophies, whose dip in performance became the focus during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool concern voiced at the notion of offering extensions to a veteran duo much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

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

Backline Issues and A Costly Refit

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

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m transfer 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 renowned star has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem

It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off 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 curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just backs off. 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 faultless. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

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

He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual imperious self this season, with the poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while key defensive stats 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 bewildered to grab the game by the throat.

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

A Side Devoid of Inspiration

Slot kept faith with the side that stopped 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 ineffective after scoring his first 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 grandstand finish.

Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to accept the 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 slow, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their title defence 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 serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and a genuine threat.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 time for reflection.