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

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

The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major prizes, whose dip in performance became the focus during the 1-1 draw.

The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms

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

Indeed, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

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

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

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Symbolized 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 backing away and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit 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 away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

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

"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 second-guessing 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 illustrious Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to take control by the throat.

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

A Team Without Ideas

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

The Egyptian was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop looked 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 taken a deflection 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 spared embarrassment 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 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 slow, labored and short on invention. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. 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 reaping the benefits for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, confident 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 a case of going back to basics.