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

The unforgiving attention that has been trained on 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 relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of major prizes, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the 1-1 draw.

The Seasoned Stars and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the prospect of offering extensions to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped alarmingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul

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

At the same time, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem

It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball 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 undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

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

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just backs off. It's the incorrect choice. 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 imperious, but right now he's slipping up and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a glittering Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual dominant persona this season, with the worst recoveries 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 full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the throat.

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

A Side Devoid of Ideas

Slot persisted 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater pressure had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale.

Late drama 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.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to accept the point 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, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings 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 serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were proactive, self-believing and dangerous.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have adapted to life in the Premier League that they will be frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.