A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form

The unforgiving spotlight that has fallen upon one global Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.

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

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the array of major prizes, whose poor form took center stage during the draw.

The Experienced Pair and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the idea of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that levels have fallen alarmingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has not yet shown anything like a good return.

Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Symbolized The Issue

It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and turning away on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such undoubted greatness, 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 provoked with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's erring and doubting himself."

The Numbers and A Lack of Command

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 shadow 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the throat.

Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

Liverpool Devoid of Inspiration

Slot persisted with the side that ended 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 pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.

Stoppage-time tension 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.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 lethargic, ponderous and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled.

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 positive, confident and dangerous.

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 back to the drawing board.