đź”— Share this article A Fading Figure of His Imperious Self - Van Dijk Fights A Dip in Form The glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's latest disappointing night. The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of top honors, whose poor form took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the prospect of offering extensions to a veteran duo much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a ÂŁ450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has carried since his ÂŁ75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. An Incident That Summed Up The Problem It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning his back 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 disadvantage. Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just retreats. 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 was impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating." Statistical Decline 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 illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions 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 missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the norm. A Team Without Spark Slot kept faith with the side that halted 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 never came, with ÂŁ125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after opening his account 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale. Stoppage-time tension 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to accept the 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 slow, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed. But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were positive, confident and a genuine threat. 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 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 glaring attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend shifted to another on Anfield's latest disappointing night. The Egyptian forward has come under fire for his struggles this campaign - and was consigned to the bench for the second straight Premier League game as the Black Cats came to town on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have secured the full collection of top honors, whose poor form took center stage during the 1-1 draw. The Experienced Pair and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool concern voiced at the prospect of offering extensions to a veteran duo much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. In fact, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no avoiding the brutal reality that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities and A Major Overhaul Liverpool have been vulnerable in defence ever since boss Arne Slot and the club's transfer committee began a ÂŁ450m summer rebuild that has yet to prove anything like a good return. Simultaneously, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the air of invincibility he has carried since his ÂŁ75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has not been helped by center-back colleague Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez not finding his feet at left-back. But the great Dutchman has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that resulted in a penalty in the heavyweight Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. An Incident That Summed Up The Problem It was captured in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk losing possession before standing off and turning his back 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 disadvantage. Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk invited with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi taking advantage. "Van Dijk gives the ball away and then he just retreats. 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 was impeccable. Every game he was imperious, but right now he's slipping up and hesitating." Statistical Decline 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 illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a faded version of his usual dominant persona this season, with the lowest recovery numbers per game during his Liverpool career, while defensive actions 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 missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked lost to seize the initiative by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure of acting as an makeshift forward, was indicative of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the exception rather than the norm. A Team Without Spark Slot kept faith with the side that halted 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 never came, with ÂŁ125m Alexander Isak also ineffective after opening his account 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a thrilling finale. Stoppage-time tension 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Credit Due and The Road Forward Slot and his underperforming defending champions ultimately had to accept the 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 slow, ponderous and devoid of creativity. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Displays like this are the reason their title defence has collapsed. But huge credit for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of serious ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the excellent coaching of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were positive, confident and a genuine threat. 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 frustrated they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is a case of going back to basics.