A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Battles A Dip in Form

The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the array of top honors, whose struggles came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer 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 performance has dipped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

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

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the sense of being untouchable he has carried since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Summed Up The Struggle

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before backing away and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that struck 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.

Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his atypical failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"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 doubting himself."

Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void

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

He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the throat.

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

A Team Devoid of Spark

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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first 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 been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish.

A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 accept the point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson blessed 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 traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.

But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work 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 indicative 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 time for reflection.