A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Fights Waning Influence

The glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.

The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have swept up the array of top honors, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

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

A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has still to demonstrate anything like its worth.

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

Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Summed Up The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a well-earned lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before standing off and turning away 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 shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just drops 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 impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating."

The Numbers and A Leadership Void

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

He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual imperious self 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, 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 exception rather than the norm.

A Side Without Inspiration

Slot stayed with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more watching 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 quiet after opening his account with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned 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 saved from humiliation 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 rounded 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 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, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled.

But full acknowledgment 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 telling of the manner in which they have embraced 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.