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

The unforgiving focus that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night.

Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his poor form this campaign - and was placed on the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of major trophies, whose dip in performance became the focus during the stalemate.

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 concern voiced at the prospect of offering extensions to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that performance has dipped concerningly for both.

Backline Issues and Summer Spending

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

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

Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Encapsulated The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that hit him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

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 illustrious 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 defensive actions are also down on last season.

And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the throat.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an emergency striker, was indicative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm.

A Team Without Inspiration

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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to 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 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 dramatic ending.

Late drama came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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 short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has collapsed.

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 fine work of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, 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 embraced life in the Premier League that they will be unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

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