A Shadow of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form
The unforgiving spotlight that has fallen upon one global Liverpool icon shifted to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night.
The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this campaign - and was relegated to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have collected the complete set of major trophies, whose struggles came under the microscope during the 1-1 draw.
The Experienced Pair and New Deals
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of offering extensions to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start.
Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the harsh truth that levels have fallen worryingly for both.
Backline Issues and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like a good return.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to shed the air of invincibility he has held since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as highlighted by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Summed Up 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 retreating and averting his body 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 turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Misfortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession 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 imperious, but right now he's erring and doubting himself."
Statistical Decline and A Lack of Command
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 glittering Liverpool career.
He has, though, looked a pale imitation of his usual dominant persona this season, with the poest ball recovery rate 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the initiative.
Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm.
A Team Without Ideas
Slot kept faith 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending.
A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only avoided defeat in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back 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 fading champions ultimately had to accept the point 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 lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled.
But significant praise for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of notable 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 embraced 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.
