A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Fights Waning Influence

The glaring focus that has centered around one world-class Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.

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

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major trophies, whose struggles came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Experienced Pair and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the idea of offering extensions to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown anything like its worth.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has held since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight 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 merited lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck 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 detriment.

Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just backs off. It's the mistake. 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 making mistakes and hesitating."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

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

He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual imperious self 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the initiative.

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

A Side Lacking Inspiration

Slot persisted with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines.

The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater 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.

Stoppage-time tension 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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 short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown 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 clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, confident 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 frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is time for reflection.