🔗 Share this article A Shadow of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Battles A Dip in Form The unforgiving focus that has fallen upon one world-class Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the 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 full collection of top honors, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the idea of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like its worth. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m transfer 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 failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck 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 his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment. Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. 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 dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and second-guessing himself." The Numbers 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 stellar Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered 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 representative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard. A Side Without Ideas Slot persisted 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet 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 deflected 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 superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had dribbled past keeper Alisson. Credit Due and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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 scant belief. Showings 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 proactive, confident and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have embraced 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 unforgiving focus that has fallen upon one world-class Liverpool icon turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has come under fire for his poor form this campaign - and was relegated to the 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 full collection of top honors, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked high-value two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool question asked at the idea of handing contracts to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee undertook a £450m summer rebuild that has not yet shown anything like its worth. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m transfer 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 failing to settle at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that conceded a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck 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 his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment. Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just retreats. 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 dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and second-guessing himself." The Numbers 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 stellar Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered 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 representative of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the standard. A Side Without Ideas Slot persisted 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 was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop turned to him for inspiration. It failed to materialize, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet 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 deflected 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 superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had dribbled past keeper Alisson. Credit Due and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to take a point knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson lucky 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 scant belief. Showings 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 proactive, confident and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is telling of the manner in which they have embraced 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.