🔗 Share this article A Shadow of His Dominant Stature - Liverpool's Captain Grapples With Waning Influence The intense attention that has been trained on one elite Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the complete set of major trophies, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Experienced Pair and Contract Extensions Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of offering extensions to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities 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 overhaul that has not yet shown anything like value for money. At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Symbolized The Struggle It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk surrenders possession 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 was impeccable. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself." Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona 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 brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to take control by the throat. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure 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 exception rather than the norm. A Team Devoid of Inspiration Slot persisted with the side that ended 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 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his fading champions 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 lethargic, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown 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 notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 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 been trained on one elite Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's latest frustrating night. The Egyptian forward has been under scrutiny for his subpar performances this season - and was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the consecutive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive foundation as Liverpool have secured the complete set of major trophies, whose dip in performance took center stage during the stalemate. The Experienced Pair and Contract Extensions Van Dijk, 34, and Salah, 33, both agreed to high-value two-year deals in the summer, with barely a Liverpool question asked at the prospect of offering extensions to a seasoned pair much closer to the end of their careers than the start. Truly, it was a cause of celebration - but now there is no denying the stark fact that performance has dipped worryingly for both. Defensive Vulnerabilities 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 overhaul that has not yet shown anything like value for money. At the same time, Van Dijk has started to forfeit the aura of invulnerability he has held since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has received little support by defensive partner Ibrahima Konate's loss of form, along with Milos Kerkez struggling to adapt at left-back. But the esteemed defender has also fought his own battles, as highlighted by his rash handball that gave away a penalty in the significant Champions League loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. A Moment That Symbolized The Struggle It was exemplified in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before retreating and turning away on a 25-yard shot that deflected off him and looped out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson. For a defender of such undoubted greatness, Van Dijk has an peculiar tendency of turning away on the ball, sometimes to Liverpool's cost. Misfortune at the end, yes, but it was a situation Van Dijk courted with his unusual failure to make a decisive move, Sunderland's Talbi seizing the moment. "Van Dijk surrenders possession 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 was impeccable. Every game he was dominant, but right now he's making mistakes and doubting himself." Performance Metrics and A Leadership Void As with Salah, a player of Van Dijk's stature must not be discarded after securing two Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two EFL Cups in a illustrious Liverpool career. He has, though, looked a shadow of his usual dominant persona 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 brimming with experience, it was missing here. No-one was motivating a team that once again looked lost to take control by the throat. Van Dijk's subpar showing, which ended with him being used as the desperate measure 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 exception rather than the norm. A Team Devoid of Inspiration Slot persisted with the side that ended 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 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 taken a deflection off Nordi Mukiele to set up what Liverpool hoped would be a dramatic ending. Stoppage-time tension came - but at the other end. Liverpool were only saved from humiliation 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 dribbled past keeper Alisson. Praise Deserved and Looking Ahead Slot and his fading champions 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 lethargic, ponderous and lacking in ideas. Even the typical final push after the equaliser carried little conviction. Performances like this are the reason their defense of their crown 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 notable ambition in the transfer market, coupled with the superb management 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 unhappy they left Anfield without adding two more to their tally. For Slot and Liverpool, it is back to the drawing board.