A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Fights Decline

The glaring attention that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the array of major trophies, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions

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

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

Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Costly Refit

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

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose 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 struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem

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

For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs 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 impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's slipping up and second-guessing himself."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded 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 commanding presence this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the throat.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.

A Side Lacking Inspiration

Slot stayed with the side that stopped 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 pinned hopes on 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 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 avoided defeat 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 The Road Forward

Slot and his fading 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 slow, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.

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

The Black Cats were positive, assured and dangerous.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have adapted to 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.