The intense glare that has hovered over one Liverpool icon shifted to another during a bleak evening at Anfield. Mohamed Salah, whose form has dipped severely, again began on the bench as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. Yet it was Virgil van Dijk — long regarded as Liverpool’s defensive cornerstone during their era of major triumphs — who drew the deepest concern after a 1-1 stalemate.
The intense glare that has hovered over one Liverpool icon shifted to another during a bleak evening at Anfield. Mohamed Salah, whose form has dipped severely, again began on the bench as Sunderland arrived on Wednesday. Yet it was Virgil van Dijk — long regarded as Liverpool’s defensive cornerstone during their era of major triumphs — who drew the deepest concern after a 1-1 stalemate.
Now 34, Van Dijk entered the season with a fresh two-year extension, just as Salah did at 33. Those renewals were greeted with enthusiasm rather than hesitation, but recent displays have forced an uncomfortable reassessment. Liverpool’s restructured squad, assembled at enormous expense, has not provided a stable backdrop, and defensive fragility has persisted since Arne Slot took charge.
Van Dijk’s commanding presence has faded since his arrival from Southampton in 2018. He has been hindered by Ibrahima Konaté’s pronounced slump and Milos Kerkez’s unsettled introduction at left-back. Still, the captain’s own form has sagged sharply, highlighted by his rash handball against PSV in the Champions League.
Wednesday’s key moment summed up his struggles. Van Dijk lost possession, retreated instead of engaging Chemsdine Talbi, and then turned away from the shot that deflected off him and beat Alisson. It was a rare moment of indecision for a defender once known for composure.
Steph Houghton told BBC Radio 5 Live that the sequence stemmed from hesitation: “He gives the ball away and then drops off. He has to step out. When he doesn’t choose, nobody else can react.” Jamie Redknapp echoed that sentiment, noting on Sky Sports that last season Van Dijk “couldn’t put a foot wrong,” but is now “doubting himself.”
Despite his pedigree, Van Dijk now faces the fiercest criticism of his Liverpool tenure. His recovery numbers are the lowest he has recorded at the club, while defensive interventions have fallen compared with last year. With an experienced squad around him, the lack of on-field leadership stood out on a night when the team again lacked direction.
Slot eventually pushed Van Dijk forward as an auxiliary forward, a desperate tactic symptomatic of a side stuck in a rut. The overall performance was flat, and last weekend’s victory at West Ham began to resemble the outlier.
The coach trusted the lineup that halted a disastrous run of defeats, leaving Salah to wait until halftime before entering. Even then, neither he nor £125m striker Alexander Isak could spark improvement, both struggling to influence the contest.
Liverpool’s equalizer arrived only through fortune, Florian Wirtz’s late strike taking a heavy touch off Nordi Mukiele. It briefly ignited hope of a late surge, but that energy soon faded.
Sunderland nearly snatched all three points when Wilson Isidor rounded Alisson in stoppage time, only for Federico Chiesa to sprint back and clear spectacularly off the line.
Slot and his faltering champions were left relieved rather than satisfied, with earlier scares including Trai Hume hitting the bar and Omar Alderete glancing a header off the post. The hosts were sluggish, predictable, and bereft of imagination — traits that have undermined their title defense.
By contrast, Sunderland earned admiration for their bold approach. Backed by ambitious summer recruitment and guided by Regis Le Bris, they played with assurance and purpose. Their current position — sixth with 23 points — reflects their steady adaptation to the top flight.
The visitors departed Anfield frustrated not to have taken more, a measure of their progress as well as Liverpool’s ongoing decline.
For Slot’s side, the night ended with more questions than answers and a growing sense that a return to basics may be the only path forward.
