🔗 Share this article A Diminished Presence of His Commanding Persona - Liverpool's Captain Fights Decline The glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night. The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major trophies, whose struggles became the focus during the draw. The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of handing contracts to a veteran duo much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the stark fact that levels have fallen alarmingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like its worth. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Encapsulated The Struggle It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away 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 unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "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 faultless. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and doubting himself." The Numbers and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed after claiming 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 commanding presence 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the throat. Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the rule. A Team Devoid of Spark Slot persisted with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines. The Egyptian was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop turned 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 taken a deflection 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 avoided defeat 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved 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 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 sluggish, labored and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 grown into 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 back to the drawing board.
The glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's fresh disappointing night. The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland came to town on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive rock as Liverpool have collected the full collection of major trophies, whose struggles became the focus during the draw. The Seasoned Stars and Contract Extensions Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with not one Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of handing contracts to a veteran duo much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a reason for joy - but now there is no denying the stark fact that levels have fallen alarmingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since head coach Arne Slot and the club's scouting department began a £450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like its worth. Concurrently, Van Dijk has started to lose the air of invincibility he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the renowned star has also struggled badly, as demonstrated by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Encapsulated The Struggle It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before backing away 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 unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Bad luck at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his atypical failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "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 faultless. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and doubting himself." The Numbers and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed after claiming 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 commanding presence 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 exclusive domain alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was absent here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked bewildered to grab the game by the throat. Van Dijk's difficult night, which ended with him being used as the last resort of acting as an makeshift forward, was representative of a horribly mediocre Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the rule. A Team Devoid of Spark Slot persisted with the side that halted a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more observing from the sidelines. The Egyptian was introduced at the start of the second half as the Kop turned 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 taken a deflection 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 avoided defeat 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved 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 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 sluggish, labored and short on invention. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has fallen apart. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being rewarded for a summer of clear intent in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 grown into 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 back to the drawing board.