Van Dijk and Salah's Bad Days Signal Liverpool's Danger

When was the last time Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah played poorly at the same time? It seems difficult to find that moment. The two megastars of Liverpool almost always deliver their best performances in every match. Until finally, an anomaly occurred in the 2025 Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

Liverpool must relinquish their first trophy of the season after losing a penalty shootout to Palace, 2-3, at Wembley Stadium, London, on Sunday (10/8/2025) evening WIB. The team, managed by Arne Slot, took the lead twice in the first half but was always caught off guard when they began to feel comfortable. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes of regular time.

If asked who the most composed and calm figure in the Liverpool camp is, everyone would surely agree to point to Van Dijk. The 34-year-old team captain usually brings a sense of security to the backline of "The Reds." However, that figure seemed to vanish instantly at Wembley.

Van Dijk was repeatedly exposed by the speed of the Palace attackers. He made his first mistake by fouling Ismaila Sarr in the penalty area. The incident resulted in Palace's first goal. At the end of the match, Sarr scored the equalizer due to Van Dijk's misjudgment and positioning.

The easiest way to find reasons for defeat is to make Van Dijk the "scapegoat." However, football is not played in isolation. When viewed more broadly, the performance of the central defender is influenced by many factors. The defensive system of Liverpool, which includes several new players, is the biggest factor.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher outlined the Reds' weaknesses. "They look great in attack, but they're vulnerable defensively, as we've seen throughout preseason. They concede a lot of goals because they play an aggressive man-to-man defense and leave a lot of space behind," he explained via X.

A man-to-man formation with a high defensive block was commonplace for Slot last season. The problem is, the current back four are not yet accustomed to playing together. Full-backs Jeremie Frimpong (right) and Milos Kerkez (left) only made their official debuts against Palace. Opponents can exploit this gap with lightning-fast transitions.

In the second goal by Palace, for instance, the four defenders of Liverpool appeared to be poorly aligned. There was a significant gap between Kerkez and Van Dijk. Kerkez was confused as he was trapped by the presence of wing-back Daniel Munoz. Sarr took advantage of the opening by running between the two Liverpool players.

Frimpong's positioning is also questionable. He was standing about a foot from Liverpool's offside line. While his position didn't impact Palace's second goal, Frimpong's defensive understanding could be a problem in the future. At Bayer Leverkusen, he primarily plays as a winger in a 3-5-2 formation.

In Slot's team, Frimpong plays as a wing-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He is expected to fill the role of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who often becomes a weak point in defense. The defensive responsibilities of the diminutive player are significantly greater with Liverpool compared to those at Leverkusen.

"Perhaps we need a little adjustment in our defense," said Slot after the match. "We did not concede many chances, but we let in a lot of goals. We conceded several goals against Athletic Bilbao and Milan (in the preseason match). So, we definitely need to do something to improve further," he added.

Salah may not have been at his best last night. This can be seen from his execution during the penalty shootout, which soared high above the crossbar. The striker's statistical record is also far from standard. He only managed one shot, failed to win any duels (0-6), and did not create a successful dribble (0-1) throughout the 90 minutes.

Regardless of that, Salah actually received less supply from his teammates, especially in transitional situations when the opponent's defense was not yet prepared. Salah more often received the ball when the Palace defenders were already positioned in a low defensive block. Everything felt difficult for the winner of the Premier League Golden Boot 2024-25.

Moreover, Liverpool's attacking scheme has also changed. Salah no longer operates alone on the right wing. He has to share space with Frimpong, who often advances to support the attack. Frimpong is unlike Alexander-Arnold, who tends to move more into central areas or occupy midfield positions.

We changed four players. You definitely need time to adapt, both offensively and defensively. - Arne Slot -

As a result, the right side of Liverpool is somewhat congested. Opposing players' attention is focused on that side. Moreover, "The Reds" have lost winger Luis Diaz, who typically threatens the left side of the opponent through dribbling actions. Diaz's replacement, Cody Gakpo, tends to move more towards the center. Salah is increasingly struggling to find space.

Not only that, Liverpool also seems to be starting to miss the long passes from Alexander-Arnold. The service from the wing-back usually indulges Salah during moments of counter-attack transition. There has yet to be a figure who can replace that role at Wembley.

Frimpong only made two long passes while playing the full duration of normal time. In the previous match between Liverpool and Palace at the end of May, Alexander-Arnold delivered 13 long passes despite only appearing in the second half. Thus, the difference in the roles of these two defenders is clearly evident.

Liverpool's attack is considered more fluid with the presence of new players, such as midfielder Florian Wirtz and forward Hugo Ekitike. They contributed assists and goals to give Liverpool the lead at Wembley. However, in reality, their attack is not better than that of Palace.

Palace created more big chances than Liverpool (4-3) and also outscored Liverpool in shots (14-12). Furthermore, Oliver Glasner's team also had twice the chance ratio as the Reds, with 2.12 - 1.11 xG (expected goals).

Slot acknowledged that there are still many issues that need to be resolved ahead of the new season. However, he does not find this concerning at all. The reason is that they are still in a transitional phase. "We have replaced four players. You definitely need time, both to adapt in terms of offense and defense," he stated.

The performance in the Community Shield could be a warning sign for Liverpool. However, a single match's performance cannot fully depict the story of Salah and his teammates in the new season. They have yet to complete their transfer activities, even though they have already spent nearly 300 million pounds sterling.

Defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has also yet to appear due to personal matters. As is known, Gravenberch is a figure capable of bridging the attack and strengthening the defense. "Gravenberch is a significant loss. For me, he was Liverpool's best player last season," said former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to BBC Sport.

For Liverpool, the result at Wembley could also signify a blessing. It all depends on the context and perspective. Of the last 14 winners of the Community Shield, only one team has been able to become the English Premier League champion at the end of the season. The others have fallen victim to the curse of the entertainment competition. (AP/REUTERS)