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It seems that the Egyptian star's limited defensive contributions is emerging as a slight problem for the Merseyside club, especially when facing top-tier opponents.

I can fully grasp if manager the Liverpool boss has directed Salah not to track back, since positioning himself advanced on the right side when regaining possession has established him as one of the global deadliest goalscorers.

However, the teammates in support fail to offer sufficient defensive support, causing significant issues for anyone is playing at right-back in recent matches.

Whether it's Conor Bradley or Dominik Szoboszlai, they often find themselves in trouble due to facing a numerical disadvantage on that flank.

It proved a noticeable vulnerability on Saturday, leading to the opponent's decisive goal – and the concern is that other sides will smartly exploit this same area.

{'Salah Is Given Freedom to Avoid Defensive Work

Primarily, I doubt that the manager is telling Salah to help defensively and assist his right-back.

Should he was told to mark the opposition's defender his direct opponent, then this was extremely obvious he did not comply, and the coach would not accept that.

Instead, Slot is allowing Salah the freedom to concentrate exclusively on offensive play, which is fine – there are numerous examples of other teams using similar approaches, with players who choose to conserve their stamina for forward moves.

Certainly, there are always specific situations in a game when you are conceding chances and one might feel compelled to help out.

I know Salah can do it, since when Liverpool won at Manchester City previously, his defensive performance was among the best I've seen from him.

But, he likely been specifically asked to perform that role on that day, which is why I am not criticizing him if he is asked to stay forward.

'The Main Issue Is The Way Liverpool Are Set Up In Support of Salah'

The concern with Salah is more about how the side set up behind him, particularly against top teams.

His players must offer better and quicker help, as it felt like Chelsea were moving the ball upfield and then shifting it to their left, since that's where the gap existed.

When a Liverpool central player moved wide too late – whether it be Ryan Gravenberch – then he created openings in central areas ahead of the back line because they were missing a player from the midfield.

This situation becomes less of a problem when playing teams that they control possession against – as we've seen their previous league wins using this way – but they must tighten up because the elite teams will take advantage.

'Liverpool Are Losing Control of Games'

It isn't as if Salah has changed his duties recently, but because he is failing to find the net at the other end, perhaps the defensive side of his game is more noticeable.

I am not overly concerned about his form, because he will return to form – he always does – in terms of his finishing.

He found some excellent situations against Chelsea but perhaps took a chance when he could have assisted, and the opposite, but those chances will continue and the scores will follow.

The biggest worry with the team currently is their reduced command in games compared to the previous campaign.

This has been a disappointing period for them, naturally, not only to lose three games in a row in the Premier League and European competition but as the display standards have fallen below expectations.

We must consider extenuating circumstances, of course, with the numerous personnel changes in the summer and the number of players who missed preparatory training, but previously the manager's Liverpool appeared so effective at managing games and that is no longer the situation.

It seemed like their organization was solid, and Slot's more ball-retention style brought better command.

It was an aspect that people immediately noticed he had introduced to the team, in contrast to what it was like under previous management.

Currently, however, observing them and it looks somewhat chaotic. The last half-hour of the Chelsea game was so frenetic it resembled a cup tie – they had opportunities to secure victory, but conceded many opportunities too, which is why they ultimately defeated.

{How Can Slot Fix Liverpool Problems?

There are a few aspects that are not right about the club, and repeatedly notice them losing possession, but I don't see an unresolvable situation.

Just because they have several new players – and different types too – they should not need to alter their playing style. They just need to get back to being slightly more composed and composed.

Good news is they are only one point adrift of leaders Arsenal and have opportunity to fix the issues that are going wrong.

The physical element they are lacking will come because the individuals who did not have a proper training camp, like midfielders and full-backs, will attain optimal condition soon.

Building proper understanding on the field requires patience too, whether it be between the right-back and the forward or additional key pairings.

Therefore, there is no reason to overreact. It feels like at the moment in the Premier League, and not just with Liverpool but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'crisis' and scrutiny.

The truth is the recent results to Liverpool this week will probably happen at some stage to other contenders and rivals as well.

I didn't actually believed City would be in the championship chase, but if a key attacker stays motivated and healthy they will compete.

Arsenal, defensively, appear superb again and, overall, after several matches they seem very assured in what they are doing across the pitch – it looks like a continuation of last season, with an extra layer of quality and squad strength.

With Liverpool it seems more of a transition at present. But while there is ongoing work to do for them to establish the optimal equilibrium and partnerships, it is expected everyone expects them to improve as the campaign unfolds.