A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With A Dip in Form

The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his struggles this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of major trophies, whose poor form took center stage during the 1-1 draw.

The Seasoned Stars and Renewed Terms

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

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that performance has dipped concerningly for both.

Backline Issues and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer overhaul that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his rash handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that hit him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

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

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

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just drops 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 imperious, but right now he's erring and doubting himself."

The Numbers and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be written off 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 shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the worst recoveries 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the throat.

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

Liverpool Devoid of Inspiration

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 turned to 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 increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned 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 excellent defensive sprint allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had rounded 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 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 lethargic, unimaginative and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled.

But full acknowledgment 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, self-believing and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have embraced 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 a case of going back to basics.