A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Battles Waning Influence

The glaring focus that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.

Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his subpar performances this campaign - and was consigned to the bench for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats visited on Wednesday.

But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the complete set of major prizes, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate.

The Seasoned Stars and New Deals

Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool concern voiced at the idea of offering extensions to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both.

Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like a good return.

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

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

A Sequence That Summed Up The Problem

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

For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.

Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.

"Van Dijk loses the ball 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 making mistakes and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command

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 glittering Liverpool career.

He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual commanding presence 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 packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost 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 makeshift forward, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the rule.

A Team Lacking Spark

Slot stayed with the side that ended 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet 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 grandstand finish.

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

Praise Deserved and The Road Forward

Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 short on invention. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown has collapsed.

But huge credit 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 excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were adventurous, 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 a case of going back to basics.