A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Battles Decline

The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.

The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the full collection of major prizes, whose poor form became the focus during the draw.

The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of handing contracts 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 escaping the harsh truth that levels have fallen concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like value for money.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has possessed 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 not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as highlighted by his desperate handball that gave away 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 deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck him and floated 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 cost.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. It's the wrong decision. 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 commanding, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

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 glittering Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual commanding presence 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring 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 desperate measure of acting as an emergency striker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.

A Side Lacking Spark

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

The Egyptian emerged 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 getting off the mark 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.

A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his underperforming defending champions 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 lethargic, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart.

But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were positive, confident and a genuine threat.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have grown into 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.