A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Grapples With A Dip in Form
The glaring spotlight that has centered around one world-class Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.
The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his subpar performances this season - and was consigned to the sidelines for the consecutive Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major prizes, whose poor form took center stage during the 1-1 draw.
The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much approaching 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 levels have fallen worryingly for both.
Backline Issues and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a ÂŁ450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like value for money.
At the same time, Van Dijk has started to lose the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his ÂŁ75m transfer 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 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 heavy 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 merited lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and averting his body 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 curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 was impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's slipping up and doubting himself."
Performance Metrics 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 glittering Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual dominant persona this season, with the worst recoveries per game during his Liverpool career, while key defensive stats are also down on last season.
And, while leadership should not be Van Dijk's preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck.
Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was representative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard.
Liverpool Lacking Ideas
Slot persisted with the side that ended a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines.
The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with ÂŁ125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after getting off the mark 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 dramatic ending.
Stoppage-time tension 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 rounded keeper Alisson.
Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead
Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 lethargic, unimaginative and short on invention. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried scant belief. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart.
But full acknowledgment 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 proactive, self-believing and dangerous.
Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have grown into life in the Premier League that they will be frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.
