🔗 Share this article A Fading Figure of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Battles Decline The glaring focus that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night. Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench 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 foundation as Liverpool have collected the array of major prizes, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the notion of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer refit that has yet to prove anything like value for money. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight 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 deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Misfortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his uncharacteristic failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just drops 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 impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and doubting himself." The Numbers and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries 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 missing here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard. Liverpool Without Ideas Slot kept faith with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 rounded keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 sluggish, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results 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 threatening. 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 unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.
The glaring focus that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's most recent desperate night. Mohamed Salah has faced examination for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench 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 foundation as Liverpool have collected the array of major prizes, whose dip in performance came under the microscope during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the notion of handing contracts to a seasoned pair much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the harsh truth that standards have dropped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer refit that has yet to prove anything like value for money. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to shed the sense of being untouchable he has possessed since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavyweight 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 deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that hit him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Misfortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his uncharacteristic failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk loses the ball and then he just drops 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 impeccable. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and doubting himself." The Numbers and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries 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 missing here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the standard. Liverpool Without Ideas Slot kept faith with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop looked to 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 rounded keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 sluggish, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried scant belief. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has crumbled. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results 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 threatening. 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 unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.