Anfield’s roar, once a symphony of dominance, has turned to murmurs of concern as Liverpool’s title defense unravels. The spotlight that recently scorched Mohamed Salah’s benchings now fixes squarely on captain Virgil van Dijk, whose Virgil van Dijk decline has become the Reds’ most glaring vulnerability. In the tense 1-1 draw against Sunderland on December 3, 2025, van Dijk’s giveaway sparked the Black Cats’ opener, a deflected strike from Chemsdine Talbi that exposed the Dutchman’s uncharacteristic hesitancy. This Liverpool defensive issues moment, amid a ninth loss in 12 games across all competitions, underscores a crisis threatening Arne Slot’s reign. For Premier League fans dissecting every error, van Dijk’s fade from imperious to indecisive isn’t just a slump—it’s a seismic shift in Liverpool’s identity.
Liverpool, crowned champions in Slot’s debut 2024-25 season with a record 20th title, entered 2025-26 as favorites. Yet, nine defeats in 14 league outings have plunged them to eighth on 22 points, 11 behind leaders Arsenal. Salah’s four goals in 13 appearances mark his poorest start since 2017, but van Dijk’s struggles—conceding 18 goals in 12 matches with just three clean sheets—signal deeper rot. As Van Dijk’s decline 2025 trends, Slot faces a December gauntlet: Leeds away on December 6, Inter Milan in the Champions League on December 9, and Manchester City at home on December 13. Can the captain reclaim his throne, or is this the beginning of Liverpool’s post-dynasty era?
The Weight of Legacy: Van Dijk and Salah’s Summer Extensions Under Fire
Summer 2025 promised renewal for Liverpool’s icons. On April 27, van Dijk inked a two-year extension to June 2027, days after Salah’s similar deal, both hailed as rewards for their 2024-25 heroics—van Dijk’s second Premier League title as captain, Salah’s 29 goals and 18 assists earning him a record third PFA Player of the Year. At 34 and 33, they embodied continuity amid Slot’s arrival from Feyenoord.
Optimism reigned. Van Dijk, signed for £75 million from Southampton in 2018, had anchored 119 clean sheets in 313 top-flight appearances, his 78.81% aerial duel win rate a defensive bulwark. Salah, Liverpool’s third-highest scorer ever with over 250 goals by November 2025, seemed eternal. Yet, form has fractured. Salah’s benching against Sunderland—his second straight Premier League omission—stemmed from a shadow of his prolific self, managing just four strikes amid Liverpool’s Champions League woes. Van Dijk’s aura? Shattered. His recoveries per game hit a career low of 4.2, tackles down to 0.67 per 90 minutes from 1.12 last season, interceptions dipping to 1.00. As pundit Jamie Redknapp noted on Sky Sports: “Virgil couldn’t make a mistake last season—he was imperious. Now, he’s second-guessing himself.”
This duo’s dip amplifies broader unrest. Slot’s 63% win rate—highest in club history—evaporated post-title, with Liverpool winless in three straight Anfield games for the first time since 2021’s COVID era. Fans, once euphoric, now question: Did extensions lock in fading stars, or can experience salvage a sinking ship?
| Key Stats Comparison: Van Dijk & Salah 2024-25 vs 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 (to Dec 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Van Dijk: Goals Conceded (PL Matches) | 22 (38) | 18 (12) |
| Van Dijk: Clean Sheets | 15 | 3 |
| Van Dijk: Tackles/90 | 1.12 | 0.67 |
| Van Dijk: Aerial Duels Won % | 78.81 | 75.86 |
| Salah: Goals (PL) | 29 | 4 |
| Salah: Assists (PL) | 18 | 2 |
| Salah: xG + xA per 90 | 1.05 | 0.62 |
These figures, drawn from Premier League data, highlight the stark regression fueling Liverpool defensive issues.
Dissecting the Decline: Van Dijk’s Errors and the Sunderland Wake-Up Call
Van Dijk’s travails peaked against Sunderland, a promoted side thriving under Regis Le Bris at sixth with 23 points. In the 67th minute, van Dijk’s loose pass invited pressure; he backed off Talbi, turning away as the midfielder’s 25-yard shot deflected off him past Alisson—his second such lapse this season. This “baffling habit,” as former England captain Steph Houghton called it on BBC Radio 5 Live, echoes a panic-stricken handball penalty in November’s 4-1 Champions League home loss to PSV Eindhoven, Liverpool’s heaviest Anfield defeat since 1963.
Partner Ibrahima Konate’s inconsistency—four yellows in 14 games—exacerbates the void, while left-back Milos Kerkez, a £40 million summer signing from Bournemouth, settles slowly. Yet, van Dijk owns the leadership lapse. Deployed as an emergency striker late against Sunderland—a desperate Slot ploy—he mustered zero threats. As Houghton urged: “He gives the ball away, then drops off. He needs to go to the ball—his indecision leaves everyone lost.”
Broader metrics confirm the slide. Van Dijk’s duel win rate fell to 55% from 64.34% two seasons ago, his sense-of-space rating a lowly 34—quantifying eroded anticipation. Liverpool’s backline, once impenetrable, has shipped 20 goals in 14 league games, the Premier League’s fourth-worst. Slot’s high-line risks, sans Rodri-like midfield shield, amplify exposure. Pundits like Redknapp warn: “A shadow of his usual self—recoveries, tackles, interceptions all down.”
Salah’s parallel fade compounds the chaos. Subbed on at halftime against Sunderland, the Egyptian injected pace but no penetration, his xG+xA per 90 at 0.62 versus last season’s 1.05. With £125 million Alexander Isak anonymous post his debut goal at West Ham, Liverpool’s attack sputters—18 goals scored, eighth-best.
Slot’s Summer Gamble: £450 Million Spend Fails to Stabilize
Arne Slot inherited glory but inherited pressure. After guiding Liverpool to the 2024-25 title—his seventh first-season triumph in Premier League history—the Dutchman sanctioned a record £450 million outlay, breaking the British transfer record twice: £116 million for Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, £125 million for Isak from Newcastle. Additions like Hugo Ekitike (£79 million from Eintracht Frankfurt), Jeremie Frimpong (£30 million), and Giorgi Mamardashvili (£29 million) aimed to blend youth with steel.
Yet, cohesion eludes. Wirtz dazzled with his Sunderland assist—forcing Nordi Mukiele’s own goal in the 81st—but Isak remains goalless in eight starts. Defensive reinforcements? Kerkez concedes 1.2 fouls per game; Frimpong, repurposed at right-back, adapts unevenly. Sales of Luis Diaz (£219.5 million to Bayern Munich) and Darwin Nunez netted £207.3 million, keeping net spend at -£200.3 million PSR-compliant. But tactical flux—a 3-5-2 experiment yielding nine losses in 12—has bred fragility. Slot, winless in three home games for the first time, admitted post-Sunderland: “Positives in resilience, but we must convert dominance into goals.”
Sunderland’s masterclass amplified Liverpool’s woes. Le Bris’s side, with Granit Xhaka’s captaincy and summer hauls like Talbi and Lutsharel Geertruida (on loan from RB Leipzig), hit the woodwork twice—Trai Hume’s first-half thunderbolt via Alisson’s fumble, Omar Alderete’s header post-interval. Their 32% possession belied six shots on target to Liverpool’s four, xG edging 1.12-1.46. Federico Chiesa’s 94th-minute goalline clearance from Wilson Isidor spared utter humiliation, but as Le Bris noted: “A privilege to play here—we deserved more.”
| Liverpool’s Summer 2025 Signings Impact | Player | Fee | Appearances | Goals/Assists | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florian Wirtz | £116m | 12 | 1/2 | 7.4 | |
| Alexander Isak | £125m | 8 | 1/0 | 6.8 | |
| Hugo Ekitike | £79m | 10 | 3/1 | 6.9 | |
| Milos Kerkez | £40m | 11 | 0/1 | 6.5 | |
| Jeremie Frimpong | £30m | 9 | 1/0 | 6.7 |
This table reveals the £450 million paradox: promise unfulfilled, mirroring van Dijk’s personal nadir.
Echoes of History: Liverpool’s Worst Run Since 1954
This malaise evokes dark echoes. Nine defeats in 12 games mark Liverpool’s poorest stretch since 1953-54, when they lost nine in 12 amid a Second Division relegation scrap. Three straight three-goal home losses—the PSV 4-1, Nottingham Forest 3-0, and near-miss at Sunderland—recall 1963’s Anfield nadir. Slot’s home record: four wins from seven league games, dropping more points than all of 2024-25 pre-title.
Van Dijk’s travails sting deepest. His 25 career goals belie defensive primacy—two Premier Leagues, one Champions League, FA Cup, two EFL Cups. Yet, 2025-26’s 18 concessions in 12 games dwarf last season’s 22 in 38. As Houghton implored: “No one knows what to do when he hesitates.” Leadership voids persist; Slot’s post-match positivity—”Character in holding on”—rings hollow amid fans’ frustration.
The Path Forward: Can Slot Rekindle the Fire?
December looms as Slot’s crucible. A 2-0 West Ham win hinted at revival—Isak’s debut goal, Wirtz’s spark—but Sunderland’s draw exposed fragility. Leeds’ high press awaits; Inter’s counter-threats loom; City’s firepower could crush. Slot eyes tweaks: “Fight on—we adapt.” Yet, with Salah Africa Cup-bound, van Dijk must rally.
For Liverpool, van Dijk’s decline isn’t terminal—his 91.4% passing accuracy endures—but demands introspection. As Redknapp warned, second-guessing erodes empires. Slot’s revolution, once triumphant, teeters. Anfield craves its colossus; van Dijk, reclaim your throne. The Reds’ fate hangs on it.
