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It appears that Mohamed Salah's lack of defensive work has turned into a slight issue for the Merseyside club, especially when facing top-tier opponents.

I can fully grasp if manager Arne Slot has instructed the forward not to track back, because positioning himself advanced on the right flank when regaining possession has made him one of the global deadliest goalscorers.

However, the teammates behind him fail to offer adequate defensive support, creating significant issues for anyone has been at right-back this season.

Be it Jeremie Frimpong or Dominik Szoboszlai, they end up in difficulty due to facing a 2v1 overload on their side.

It proved a noticeable weakness in the recent match, resulting in the opponent's winning goal – and the concern is that more teams will intelligently exploit this same area.

{'Salah Is Given Freedom to Skip Defence Duties'

First of all, it's hard to believe that Slot is instructing Salah to help defensively and assist his defender.

If he had been instructed to mark the opposition's defender his direct opponent, then this was extremely obvious he wasn't doing it, and the coach would not accept that.

Rather, Slot is granting Salah the liberty to focus solely on offensive play, which is acceptable – we've seen many examples of different clubs using comparable tactics, with individuals who prefer to save their energy for forward actions.

Yes, there are still specific moments in a game when the team is under pressure and one might take it upon yourself to track back.

I know Salah is capable, because when Liverpool triumphed at Manchester City previously, his defensive performance was among the best I've seen from him.

However, he likely been instructed to do so on that day, which is why I am not criticizing him if he has been told to remain advanced.

'The Real Issue Is The Way The Team Are Structured Behind Salah'

The concern with his role stems from how Liverpool set up in defensive support, particularly when playing stronger teams.

His players need to offer better and faster assistance, as it seemed like Chelsea were advancing the ball forward and subsequently shifting it to their left, because that's where the gap existed.

If a their midfielder moved wide too late – be it Ryan Gravenberch – then he left openings in central areas in front of the defence because Liverpool were missing a player from the center.

All this becomes less critical when facing teams that they control possession against – as we've seen their previous success playing such tactics – but they need to improve because the elite teams will take advantage.

'Liverpool Are Losing Command of Matches'

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

I'm not overly worried about his form, because he will improve – history shows – in terms of his finishing.

He found some excellent situations against their opponents but perhaps took a chance when he could have assisted, and vice versa, but those chances will continue and the scores will come.

The biggest worry with Liverpool currently is their reduced command in matches relative to last season.

This has been a disappointing period for them, naturally, not only to lose multiple games in a row in the domestic league and European competition but as the performance levels have not been expectations.

There are extenuating circumstances, certainly, with the numerous squad adjustments in the off-season and the number of players who did not have preparatory training, but last season Slot's Liverpool appeared very good at controlling matches and that is no longer the case.

It seemed like their organization was sound, and his more possession-based style provided greater command.

It was an aspect that observers instantly noticed he had added to the squad, compared 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 chances to win it, but conceded many opportunities too, which is why they ended up defeated.

{How Can The Manager Fix The Team's Problems?

We can identify a few aspects that are off about the club, and I keep seeing them losing possession, but this is not an unresolvable situation.

Just because they have several new additions – and different types too – they should not need to change their approach. They simply require to get back to being slightly more composed and calm.

The positive news is they are only one point behind table-toppers the front-runners and have time to correct the issues that are underperforming.

The physical element they are missing will improve because the individuals who missed a full training camp, such as key attackers and defenders, will attain peak fitness shortly.

Developing effective understanding on the field requires patience too, be it between the defender and Salah or other key combinations.

So, there is no need to panic. It seems like at the moment in the Premier League, and not only with Liverpool but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'crisis' and scrutiny.

The reality is the recent results to them recently will probably happen at some stage to other contenders and Manchester City as well.

I didn't actually believed City would be in the championship chase, but if a key attacker remains this hungry and fit they will compete.

Arsenal, in defence, look excellent again and, in general, after seven games they appear very comfortable in their performances in all areas – it looks like a extension of last season, with an added dose of talent and depth.

With Liverpool it seems more of a rebuild at present. But while there is ongoing work to do for them to find the optimal equilibrium and partnerships, it is expected everyone expects them to progress as the campaign advances.