A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Grapples With A Dip in Form
The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool great shifted to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night.
The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his poor form this campaign - and was placed on the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday.
But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the array of major prizes, whose dip in performance became the focus during the draw.
The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms
Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to lucrative new two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the prospect of securing the futures to a seasoned pair 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 stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both.
Backline Issues and Summer Spending
Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer refit that has still to demonstrate anything like a good return.
At the same time, Van Dijk has started to lose the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018.
Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
An Incident That Symbolized The Problem
It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson.
For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment.
Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising.
"Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just backs off. It's the wrong decision. 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 second-guessing himself."
Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void
As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed 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 faded version 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team full of experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked lost to take control 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 emergency striker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the rule.
A Side Without Inspiration
Slot persisted with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines.
The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, 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 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 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 The Road Forward
Slot and his fading champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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 slow, unimaginative and short on invention. Even the traditional late rally 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 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 symptomatic of the manner in which they have embraced 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.