🔗 Share this article A Shadow of His Commanding Persona - Van Dijk Battles Decline The glaring attention that has centered around one global Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his struggles this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of top honors, whose struggles took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that standards have dropped concerningly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like its worth. 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 not been helped 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 highlighted by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant 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 standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising. "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 faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be written off after winning two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual commanding presence this season, with the lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions 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 absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the throat. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm. Liverpool Lacking Inspiration Slot stayed with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines. The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday. Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in 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 outstanding recovery run 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 underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a 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 lethargic, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were proactive, assured and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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.
The glaring attention that has centered around one global Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh desperate night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his struggles this campaign - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive bedrock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of top honors, whose struggles took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that standards have dropped concerningly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like its worth. 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 not been helped 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 highlighted by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant 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 standing off and averting his body on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an unusual habit of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising. "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 faultless. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." Performance Metrics and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be written off after winning two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual commanding presence this season, with the lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions 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 absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the throat. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the norm. Liverpool Lacking Inspiration Slot stayed with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines. The Egyptian emerged at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after scoring his first with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday. Slot would have been under increased scrutiny had Florian Wirtz's 81st-minute shot not been turned in 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 outstanding recovery run 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 underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a 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 lethargic, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has crumbled. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were proactive, assured and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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.