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It seems that Mohamed Salah's limited defensive work is emerging as a slight problem for the Merseyside club, especially when facing top-tier teams.

I can fully grasp if coach Arne Slot has instructed the forward not to track back, since positioning himself advanced on the right side when regaining possession has established him as one of the global most dangerous goalscorers.

However, the teammates behind him fail to offer adequate cover, causing numerous challenges for whoever has been at the right defensive position in recent matches.

Whether it's Conor Bradley or another player, they often find themselves in trouble due to facing a numerical disadvantage on their side.

This was a clear vulnerability in the recent match, leading to the opponent's decisive goal – and the worry is that other sides will smartly target this same area.

{'Salah Has Freedom to Skip Defence Work

Primarily, I doubt that Slot is telling Salah to track back and support his defender.

Should he was told to follow the opposition's left-back his direct opponent, then it was extremely obvious he wasn't doing it, and Slot would not tolerate that.

Rather, Slot is allowing him the freedom to concentrate exclusively on attacking play, which is acceptable – we've seen many instances of different clubs adopting similar tactics, with players who prefer to save their stamina for forward moves.

Yes, there are always specific situations in a match when the team is conceding chances and you might take it upon yourself to help out.

I know he can do it, since when they won at a top rival last season, his work rate was among the best observed from him.

But, he likely been instructed to perform that role on that occasion, which is why I don't blame him if he is asked to stay forward.

'The Real Issue Is How The Team Are Set Up In Support of Salah'

The concern with his role stems from how Liverpool set up behind him, particularly against stronger teams.

The other players need to offer more and faster assistance, as it seemed like Chelsea were advancing the ball forward and then shifting it to their left, since that's where the space existed.

When a their central player moved wide belatedly – whether it be Alexis Mac Allister – then he created space in the middle ahead of the back line because they were losing a man from the midfield.

This situation is less critical when facing opponents that they control the ball against – as we've seen Liverpool previous league wins using such tactics – but they must tighten up because the top sides will capitalize.

'Liverpool Have Lost Command of Games'

It is not as if he has altered his duties recently, but since he is failing to find the net at the other end, perhaps the defensive side of his game is more noticeable.

I am not too worried about his current performance, as he will improve – he always does – in terms of his finishing.

He got into some excellent situations versus Chelsea but maybe shot when he could have assisted, and the opposite, but those opportunities will keep coming and the goals will come.

My main concern with Liverpool at the moment is their reduced control in games relative to the previous campaign.

It has been a frustrating week for them, naturally, not only to lose multiple matches in a row in the Premier League and Champions League but because the display standards have not been what we expect.

We must consider mitigating factors, certainly, with all the personnel changes in the summer and the number of individuals who missed preparatory training, but previously the manager's Liverpool appeared so effective at controlling matches and that is not the case.

It felt like their organization was sound, and Slot's more ball-retention approach brought better control.

This was something that observers instantly noticed he had added to the team, compared to what it was like under previous management.

Currently, however, observing them and it appears somewhat chaotic. The last half-hour of the recent game was so frenetic it resembled a knockout game – they had opportunities to win it, but conceded several opportunities too, which is why they ended up defeated.

{How Can The Manager Fix Liverpool Issues?

We can identify a few things that are not right about Liverpool, and repeatedly notice them giving the ball away, but this is not an unresolvable scenario.

Just because Liverpool have some new players – and varied profiles too – they don't need to alter their approach. They just need to get back to being a bit more patient and calm.

Good aspect is they are only one point adrift of table-toppers the front-runners and have opportunity to correct the issues that are going wrong.

The physical aspect they are missing will come because the individuals who missed a full pre-season, like key attackers and defenders, will attain peak fitness soon.

Developing effective relationships on the pitch requires patience too, whether it be between the right-back and the forward or additional key combinations.

Therefore, there is no reason to panic. It seems like currently in the top flight, and not only with this team but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'crisis' and criticism.

The reality is the recent results to Liverpool recently will probably happen at some stage to Arsenal and rivals this season.

I had not actually thought that side would be in the championship chase, but if a key attacker stays motivated and fit they will be in contention.

The London club, in defence, appear superb again and, in general, after seven games they seem very comfortable in what they are doing across the pitch – it seems a continuation of last season, with an added dose of quality and depth.

For them it feels like more of a transition right now. But although there is still work to do for them to establish the optimal equilibrium and partnerships, it is expected everyone is anticipating them to progress as the campaign advances.