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

The glaring spotlight that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of top honors, whose poor form came under the microscope during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the notion of offering extensions to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that levels have fallen worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Encapsulated The Struggle

It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away 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 proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Ill fortune at the finale, 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 retreats. It's the mistake. 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself."

Statistical Decline and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature 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 dominant persona 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing 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 last resort of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the standard.

Liverpool Lacking Inspiration

Slot stayed with the side that ended 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 turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous 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 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 spared embarrassment 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.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 slow, labored and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled.

But significant praise 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 telling of the manner in which they have grown into life in the Premier League that they will be disappointed they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is time for reflection.