A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Battles Waning Influence

The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's latest disappointing night.

The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his poor form this season - and was consigned to 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 dip in performance came under the microscope during the draw.

The Veteran Duo and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the idea of handing contracts 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 denying the brutal reality that performance has dipped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department embarked on a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth.

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

Van Dijk has received little support by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as proved by his desperate handball that gave away a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Moment That Symbolized The Struggle

It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before backing away 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 proven caliber, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

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

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just backs off. 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 was faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be dismissed after claiming 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 imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the initiative.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the last resort 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 outlier rather than the norm.

A Side Without Ideas

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 emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after opening his account 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 dramatic ending.

A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat 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.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 sluggish, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has collapsed.

But significant praise 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 proactive, confident and a genuine threat.

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 time for reflection.