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

The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the array of top honors, whose poor form took center stage during the stalemate.

The Seasoned Stars and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown anything like a good return.

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

Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as proved by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Summed Up The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away 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 unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Misfortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his atypical failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk loses the ball 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 faultless. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded after securing 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 commanding presence this season, with the poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the initiative.

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

Liverpool Lacking Ideas

Slot persisted with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more watching from 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 quiet after getting off the mark 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 been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.

Late drama 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 lethargic, labored and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has fallen apart.

But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, self-believing 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 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 back to the drawing board.