A Fading Figure of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Battles Waning Influence

The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night.

The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his struggles this season - and was relegated to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.

But it was leader Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the array of major trophies, whose dip in performance came under the microscope 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 barely a Liverpool question asked at the notion of handing contracts to a veteran duo much closer to the end of their careers than the start.

Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that performance has dipped alarmingly for both.

Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul

Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return.

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

Van Dijk has faced additional challenges 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 struggled badly, as highlighted by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

An Incident That Symbolized The Struggle

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

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

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

"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. 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 impeccable. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself."

Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void

As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be written off after winning 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 imperious self 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 packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative.

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 horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule.

A Team Devoid of Inspiration

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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after getting off the mark 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 grandstand finish.

Late drama came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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.

Credit Due and The Road Forward

Slot and his fading champions 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 lethargic, 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 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 serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris.

The Black Cats were positive, assured and threatening.

Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic of the manner in which they have adapted to 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 a case of going back to basics.