🔗 Share this article A Fading Figure of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Fights A Dip in Form The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's most recent frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive 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 Veteran Duo and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of offering extensions to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no escaping the harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to lose the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt 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 surrendering the ball before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 commanding, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating." Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded 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 pale imitation of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries 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 full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule. A Team Lacking Spark Slot kept faith 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after opening his account 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 thrilling finale. 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 beaten keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 lethargic, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has collapsed. But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and a genuine threat. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 a case of going back to basics.
The unforgiving spotlight that has been trained on one global Liverpool icon switched to another on Anfield's most recent frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the sidelines for the second successive 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 Veteran Duo and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both inked new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with scarcely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of offering extensions to a veteran duo much approaching the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no escaping the harsh truth that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Backline Issues and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's recruitment team undertook a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to lose the aura of invulnerability he has possessed since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has faced additional challenges by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt 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 surrendering the ball before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Bad luck at the conclusion, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his uncharacteristic failure to act decisively, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 commanding, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating." Performance Metrics and Missing Leadership As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's caliber must not be discarded 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 pale imitation of his usual imperious self this season, with the worst recoveries 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 full of experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an makeshift forward, was symptomatic of a deeply underwhelming Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the outlier rather than the rule. A Team Lacking Spark Slot kept faith 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 never came, with £125m Alexander Isak also anonymous after opening his account 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 thrilling finale. 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 beaten keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders 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 lethargic, labored and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their defense of their crown has collapsed. But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being reaping the benefits for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, confident and a genuine threat. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 a case of going back to basics.