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It appears that the Egyptian star's limited defensive work is emerging as a slight problem for the Merseyside club, particularly against stronger teams.

It's understandable if coach the Liverpool boss has instructed Salah not to track back, since staying high on the right side when regaining possession has made him one of the global most dangerous strikers.

But, the teammates in support are not providing adequate cover, causing significant challenges for anyone has been at the right defensive position this season.

Be it Jeremie Frimpong or Dominik Szoboszlai, they end up in trouble due to dealing with a 2v1 overload on that flank.

This was a noticeable weakness on Saturday, resulting in Chelsea's decisive goal – and the worry is that more teams will intelligently exploit this same area.

{'Salah Is Given License to Avoid Defence Work

First of all, I doubt that the manager is telling Salah to track back and support his defender.

Should Salah had been instructed to follow Chelsea's left-back Marc Cucurella, then this was extremely evident he did not comply, and the coach would not accept that.

Instead, Slot is granting him the freedom to concentrate solely on attacking play, which is acceptable – we've seen numerous instances of other teams adopting similar approaches, with players who choose to conserve their energy for attacking actions.

Certainly, there are always specific situations in a match when the team is conceding chances and one might feel compelled to track back.

It's known he is capable, because when they triumphed at Manchester City previously, his work rate was among the best I've seen from him.

However, he likely been instructed to do so on that occasion, which is why I don't blame him if he has been asked to stay forward.

'The Real Issue Is The Way The Team Are Structured In Support of Salah'

The concern with Salah stems from how Liverpool set up behind him, especially against top teams.

The other players need to provide more and faster help, as it felt like Chelsea were advancing the ball forward and subsequently switching it to their left side, because that's where the space existed.

When a their midfielder moved wide belatedly – be it Ryan Gravenberch – then he created space in central areas in front of the back line because they were missing a man from the center.

This situation becomes less of a problem when facing opponents that they control possession against – evidenced by their previous league wins using this way – but they must tighten up because the top sides will capitalize.

'Liverpool Have Lost Control of Matches'

It is not as if Salah has changed his role recently, but because he is not scoring at the other end, perhaps the defensive aspect of his game is more noticeable.

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

He found some excellent situations versus their opponents but maybe shot when he should have passed, and vice versa, but those chances will keep coming and the goals will come.

The biggest worry with the team currently is their lack of control in matches compared to the previous campaign.

This has been a frustrating week for them, naturally, not only to lose three matches in a row in the domestic league and Champions League but as the performance levels have not been expectations.

We must consider mitigating factors, of course, with the numerous personnel changes in the summer and the several of players who missed pre-season, but last season the manager's side appeared so effective at managing games and that is not the situation.

It seemed like their defensive shape was sound, and Slot's more ball-retention approach provided greater control.

It was something that people instantly noticed he had added to the squad, compared to what it was like under the former coach.

Now, though, observing them and it looks somewhat chaotic. The final 30 minutes of the Chelsea match was so frenetic it resembled a cup tie – they had chances to win it, but gave away several chances too, which is why they ultimately defeated.

{How Can Slot Fix The Team's Problems?

We can identify a few things that are off about Liverpool, and I keep seeing them losing possession, but I don't see an unresolvable situation.

Even though they have some new additions – and different types too – they don't need to change their playing style. They simply require to return to being slightly more composed and composed.

The positive news is they are just one point behind leaders Arsenal and have time to fix the things that are going wrong.

The physical aspect they are lacking will improve as the individuals who did not have a full pre-season, like midfielders and full-backs, will attain optimal condition soon.

Building effective understanding on the field always takes patience too, whether it be between the defender and the forward or additional important pairings.

So, there is no reason to overreact. It feels like currently in the Premier League, and not just with this team but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'crisis' and criticism.

The truth is the recent results to Liverpool recently will likely occur at some point to Arsenal and Manchester City as well.

I didn't previously thought City would be in the championship chase, but if a key attacker stays motivated and fit they will be in contention.

Arsenal, defensively, appear excellent again and, in general, after several matches they appear very comfortable 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 feels like more of a rebuild at present. But while there is still work to do for them to establish the optimal equilibrium and combinations, I think everyone is anticipating them to improve as the season unfolds.