A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With Decline

The unforgiving focus that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.

But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive rock as Liverpool have swept up the array of top honors, whose dip in performance 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 not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a experienced stars much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no escaping the brutal reality that standards have dropped worryingly for both.

Backline Issues and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like its worth.

Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem

It was encapsulated 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 struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.

For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost.

Misfortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his uncharacteristic failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 imperious, but right now he's erring and hesitating."

Statistical Decline and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded 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 commanding presence 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 full of experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an emergency striker, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.

Liverpool Lacking Ideas

Slot kept faith 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, 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 taken a deflection 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 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 struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a point 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, unimaginative and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.

But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results 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 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.