đŸ”— Share this article A Diminished Presence of His Imperious Self - Liverpool's Captain Battles A Dip in Form The intense attention that has fallen upon one global Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was consigned to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of top honors, whose struggles took center stage during the draw. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the idea of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the brutal reality that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Backline Issues and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like its worth. Simultaneously, 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 fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed 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 faded version of his usual imperious self 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the rule. A Side Without Spark Slot persisted 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on 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 greater 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 spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had beaten keeper Alisson. Credit Due and Looking Ahead 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 lethargic, labored and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were proactive, assured 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 back to the drawing board.
The intense attention that has fallen upon one global Liverpool great turned to another on Anfield's most recent disappointing night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was consigned to the sidelines for the second successive Premier League game as the Black Cats arrived on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a exceptional defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the complete set of top honors, whose struggles took center stage during the draw. The Veteran Duo and Renewed Terms Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both signed new lucrative two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the idea of securing the futures to a seasoned pair much nearer to the end of their careers than the start. Indeed, it was a moment of optimism - but now there is no escaping the brutal reality that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Backline Issues and Summer Spending Liverpool have been exposed in defence ever since manager Arne Slot and the club's scouting department undertook a £450m summer overhaul that has yet to prove anything like its worth. Simultaneously, 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 fellow defender Ibrahima Konate's dramatic dip, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also struggled badly, as proved by his panic-stricken handball that gave away a penalty in the heavy Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Sequence That Symbolized The Problem It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a merited lead, Van Dijk surrendering the ball before standing off and turning away on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such proven caliber, Van Dijk has an curious trait of turning his back on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Ill fortune at the finale, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk provoked with his unusual failure to take charge, Sunderland's Talbi capitalising. "Van Dijk surrenders possession and then he just drops off. 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 commanding, but right now he's making mistakes and hesitating." Statistical Decline and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be dismissed 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 faded version of his usual imperious self 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 sole responsibility alone in a Liverpool team brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was inspiring a team that once again looked clueless to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Van Dijk's poor display, which ended with him being used as the emergency option of acting as an last-ditch attacker, was symptomatic of a distinctly poor Liverpool performance - which made Sunday's win at West Ham seem like the anomaly rather than the rule. A Side Without Spark Slot persisted 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 came on at the start of the second half as the Kop pinned hopes on 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 greater 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 spared embarrassment in stoppage time when Federico Chiesa's superb tracking back allowed him to turn Sunderland substitute Wilson Isidor's shot off the line after he had beaten keeper Alisson. Credit Due and Looking Ahead 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 lethargic, labored and lacking in ideas. Even the customary late surge after the equaliser carried minimal threat. Showings like this are the reason their attempt to retain the title has fallen apart. But full acknowledgment for the Reds' struggles on Wednesday must be given to Sunderland, who are being seeing the results for a summer of notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management of Regis le Bris. The Black Cats were proactive, assured 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 back to the drawing board.