A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Battles A Dip in Form

The unforgiving spotlight that has centered around one elite Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the array of major prizes, whose poor form came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Experienced Pair and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the idea of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul

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

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

Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Encapsulated The Struggle

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

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

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

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just backs off. 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 doubting himself."

The Numbers and Missing Leadership

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

He has, though, looked a faded version 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an emergency striker, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

A Team Without Spark

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

The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first 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 deflected in 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 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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has collapsed.

But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, self-believing and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 a case of going back to basics.