A Shadow of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Fights Waning Influence

The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was relegated to the bench for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the complete set of top honors, whose struggles became the focus during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no avoiding the stark fact that performance has dipped concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like its worth.

Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted 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.

Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs off. 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 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 winning two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a glittering Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the poest ball recovery rate 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 full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative 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 symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the rule.

A Team Without Spark

Slot persisted 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under increased scrutiny 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 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 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 lacking in ideas. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings 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 reaping the benefits for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

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

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 a case of going back to basics.