🔗 Share this article A Fading Figure of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Fights Decline The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his subpar performances this season - and was placed on the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the full collection of major prizes, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the notion of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage. Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 was impeccable. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." The Numbers and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a stellar Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual imperious self 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative. Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm. A Side Without Inspiration Slot stayed with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian was introduced 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 getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday. Slot would have been under greater 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. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 rounded keeper Alisson. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a point 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, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled. But huge credit 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 frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.
The glaring spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his subpar performances this season - and was placed on the substitutes' bench for the second straight Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive foundation as Liverpool have swept up the full collection of major prizes, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the notion of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team embarked on a £450m summer rebuild that has still to demonstrate anything like value for money. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has carried since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Encapsulated The Problem It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of shying away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's disadvantage. Ill fortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 was impeccable. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." The Numbers and A Lack of Command As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's pedigree must not be discarded after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a stellar Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual imperious self 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative. Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the norm. A Side Without Inspiration Slot stayed with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian was introduced 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 getting off the mark with his first league goal for Liverpool on Sunday. Slot would have been under greater 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. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only spared embarrassment 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 rounded keeper Alisson. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to take a point 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, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the traditional late rally after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Performances like this are the reason their title defence has crumbled. But huge credit 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 frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.