A Shadow of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form

The glaring focus that has centered around one elite Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of major trophies, whose struggles came under the microscope during the draw.

The Veteran Duo and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of handing contracts to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.

Backline Issues and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer refit that has yet to prove anything like value for money.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Encapsulated The Problem

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

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 loses the ball 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 faultless. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

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

He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual commanding presence this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to take control by the scruff of the neck.

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

A Team Lacking Inspiration

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

The Egyptian came on 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 opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not taken a deflection 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 superb tracking back 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 struggling title-holders 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 sluggish, unimaginative and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were positive, confident and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic 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.