🔗 Share this article A Fading Figure of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Battles Waning Influence The unforgiving attention that has centered around one elite Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the array of major trophies, whose poor form became the focus during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the notion of handing contracts to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like value for money. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Encapsulated The Problem It was exemplified 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 looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself." Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be written off after claiming 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an emergency striker, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the standard. A Team Lacking Inspiration Slot persisted with the side that ended 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after getting off the mark 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 been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish. A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. 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 reaping the benefits for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic 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 a case of going back to basics.
The unforgiving attention that has centered around one elite Liverpool great switched to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the array of major trophies, whose poor form became the focus during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the notion of handing contracts to a experienced stars much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no escaping the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and Summer Spending Liverpool have been susceptible in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like value for money. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has possessed since his £75m switch from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back. But the renowned star has also had significant difficulties, as demonstrated by his desperate handball that resulted in a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Encapsulated The Problem It was exemplified 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 looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away 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 couldn't make a mistake. Every game he was commanding, but right now he's erring and second-guessing himself." Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be written off after claiming 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the initiative. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an emergency striker, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the standard. A Team Lacking Inspiration Slot persisted with the side that ended 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after getting off the mark 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 been turned in off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a grandstand finish. A late scare came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to settle for a draw 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, unimaginative and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. 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 reaping the benefits for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and threatening. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is symptomatic 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 a case of going back to basics.