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

The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one elite Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was placed on the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the full collection of major trophies, whose poor form took center stage during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of securing the futures to a experienced stars much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the stark fact that levels have fallen worryingly for both.

Backline Issues 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 still to demonstrate anything like a good return.

Concurrently, 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 not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident 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 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 curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Misfortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree 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 shadow of his usual commanding presence 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard.

A Side Without Spark

Slot stayed with the side that halted 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 looked to him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after getting off the mark 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 dramatic ending.

Late drama came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's excellent defensive sprint 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 struggling title-holders 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 sluggish, labored and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings like this are the reason their defense of their crown has fallen apart.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 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 a case of going back to basics.