A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Fights A Dip in Form

The intense spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was placed on the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major prizes, whose poor form came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

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

Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like its worth.

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

Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his rash handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight 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 merited lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that struck him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an curious trait of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just drops 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 dominant, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself."

The Numbers and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded after claiming 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 poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the throat.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.

A Side Lacking Spark

Slot kept faith 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to 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 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 outstanding recovery run allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had dribbled past keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson fortunate 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 devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence 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 clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, assured and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have grown into 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.