A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Grapples With Decline

The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.

Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of top honors, whose struggles came under the microscope during the stalemate.

The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of offering extensions to a seasoned pair much approaching the end of their careers than the start.

In fact, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both.

A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss 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 sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Symbolized The Problem

It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and averting his body 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 curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.

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

The Numbers and Missing Leadership

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded after securing 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 worst recoveries 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 lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to take control by the initiative.

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

A Team Lacking Spark

Slot persisted with the side that stopped 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 pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after scoring his first 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 deflected in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale.

A late scare 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 beaten keeper Alisson.

Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to accept the point 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 sluggish, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has collapsed.

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

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have adapted to 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.