"The fierce spotlight that has been trained on one world-class Liverpool legend switched to another on Anfield's latest desperate night. Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for his poor form this season - and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for the second successive Premier League game as Sunderland visited on Wednesday. But it was captain Virgil van Dijk, a peerless defensive bedrock as Liverpool have swept up the full collection of major prizes, whose poor form became the focus of attention during the 1-1 draw."
"But the great Dutchman 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. It was encapsulated in the 67th minute on Wednesday when Chemsdine Talbi gave Sunderland a deserved lead, Van Dijk giving the ball away before standing off and turning his back on a 25-yard shot that struck him and drifted out of the reach of goalkeeper Alisson."
Mohamed Salah has been under scrutiny for poor form and was consigned to the substitutes' bench for a second successive Premier League game. Virgil van Dijk's performances have also dropped and became the central issue in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland. Both veterans signed new two-year deals over the summer, yet standards have fallen alarmingly. Liverpool's defence has been vulnerable since a 450m summer refit that has so far not produced value. Ibrahima Konate's collapse in form and Milos Kerkez failing to settle at left-back have compounded problems, while Van Dijk has made high-profile errors including a handball that conceded a Champions League penalty and a costly misjudgement that led to Sunderland's goal.
Read at www.bbc.com
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