A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Fights Waning Influence
The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's latest desperate night.
The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his struggles this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday.
But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major prizes, whose struggles became the focus during the 1-1 draw.
The Seasoned Stars and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the idea of offering extensions to a experienced stars much closer to the end of their careers than the start.
Indeed, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both.
Defensive Vulnerabilities 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 refit that has yet to prove anything like its worth.
Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has carried 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 renowned star has also fought his own battles, as proved by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Encapsulated The Problem
It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away and turning away on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage.
Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just backs 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 was faultless. 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 stature must not be written off after winning 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 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option 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 kept faith with the side that halted 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 was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective 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.
A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 Looking Ahead
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 slow, ponderous and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart.
But huge credit 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 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 frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally.
For Slot and Liverpool, it is a case of going back to basics.