A Shadow of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Fights A Dip in Form

The intense attention that has centered around one global Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the full collection of top honors, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the 1-1 draw.

The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the notion of securing the futures to a experienced stars much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

Indeed, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the brutal reality that levels have fallen concerningly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit

Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer overhaul that has still to demonstrate anything like a good return.

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

Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant 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 well-earned lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that hit him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

"Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just backs 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 hesitating."

Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded 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 tackles and interceptions 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 absent here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the initiative.

Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option 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 anomaly rather than the standard.

A Team Without Spark

Slot persisted 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 emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday.

Slot would have been under greater 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.

Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat 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 rounded keeper Alisson.

Credit Due and Looking Ahead

Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to take a 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 customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Showings like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed.

But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were positive, self-believing and threatening.

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 disappointed they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.

For Slot and Liverpool, it is a case of going back to basics.