A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Grapples With Decline

The intense focus that has fallen upon one elite Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night.

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

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the complete set of top honors, whose poor form became the focus during the stalemate.

The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that levels have fallen concerningly for both.

Backline Issues and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money.

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Encapsulated The Issue

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

Ill fortune at the end, 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 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be written off 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 imperious self this season, with the poest ball recovery rate per game during his Liverpool career, while tackles and interceptions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating 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 horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the rule.

Liverpool Devoid of Inspiration

Slot stayed with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more watching from the sidelines.

The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous 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 thrilling finale.

Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat 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 struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a 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 sluggish, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, confident and dangerous.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have adapted to 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.