🔗 Share this article A Diminished Presence of His Dominant Stature - Van Dijk Fights Waning Influence The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his subpar performances this campaign - and was placed on the bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the array of major trophies, whose dip in performance took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Seasoned Stars and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee embarked on a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth. At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as proved by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. An Incident That Encapsulated The Issue 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 deflected off him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment. Misfortune at the conclusion, 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 backs 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 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 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the initiative. Van Dijk's difficult night, 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 norm. A Side Lacking Spark Slot persisted with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after scoring his first 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 spared embarrassment 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 Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson blessed 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 devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. 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 rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and dangerous. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 a case of going back to basics.
The unforgiving attention that has been trained on one global Liverpool legend turned to another on Anfield's fresh frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has faced examination for his subpar performances this campaign - and was placed on the bench for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday. But it was skipper Virgil van Dijk, a unmatched defensive rock as Liverpool have secured the array of major trophies, whose dip in performance took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Seasoned Stars and New Deals Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool eyebrow raised at the notion of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no denying the stark fact that standards have dropped worryingly for both. A Leaky Defense and A Costly Refit Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee embarked on a £450m summer refit that has not yet shown anything like its worth. At the same time, Van Dijk has started to shed the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m transfer from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as proved by his rash handball that conceded a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. An Incident That Encapsulated The Issue 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 deflected off him and floated out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such unquestionable quality, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's detriment. Misfortune at the conclusion, 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 backs 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 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 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 shadow of his usual imperious self this season, with the lowest recovery numbers 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 preserve alone in a Liverpool team packed with experience, it was lacking here. No-one was rousing a team that once again looked clueless to seize the initiative by the initiative. Van Dijk's difficult night, 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 norm. A Side Lacking Spark Slot persisted with the side that stopped a run of nine losses in 12 games at London Stadium, Salah once more starting on the sidelines. The Egyptian came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on him for inspiration. It was not forthcoming, with £125m Alexander Isak also quiet after scoring his first 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 spared embarrassment 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 Looking Ahead Slot and his struggling title-holders ultimately had to settle for a draw knowing it could have been worse, with Alisson blessed 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 devoid of creativity. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried little conviction. 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 rewarded for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the fine work of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were adventurous, self-believing and dangerous. Sunderland are now sixth in the Premier League with 23 points. It is indicative 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 a case of going back to basics.