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It appears that the Egyptian star's lack of defensive contributions is emerging as a slight issue for Liverpool, particularly when facing top-tier teams.

I can fully grasp if coach Arne Slot has directed the forward to avoid defensive duties, because positioning himself advanced on the right flank during transitions has established him as one of the world's deadliest goalscorers.

However, the teammates behind him fail to offer adequate cover, creating numerous issues for whoever has been at the right defensive position this season.

Whether it's Conor Bradley or another player, they often find themselves in trouble due to facing a 2v1 overload on that flank.

It proved a noticeable vulnerability in the recent match, resulting in the opponent's winning goal – and the worry is that more teams will smartly target this weak spot.

{'Salah Is Given License to Avoid Defensive Work

Primarily, I doubt that the manager is instructing Salah to track back and support his right-back.

Should he had been instructed to mark the opposition's left-back his direct opponent, then this was extremely obvious he wasn't doing it, and Slot would not accept that.

Rather, Slot is allowing him the freedom to concentrate solely on offensive play, which is acceptable – we've seen many examples of other teams using comparable tactics, with individuals who prefer to save their stamina for attacking moves.

Certainly, there are always certain moments in a game when you are conceding chances and you might feel compelled to track back.

I know Salah is capable, since when Liverpool won at a top rival last season, his work rate 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 asked to remain advanced.

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

The concern with his role stems from how the side are organized in defensive support, particularly against top opponents.

His teammates must provide better and quicker help, as it felt like Chelsea were advancing the ball upfield and then switching it to their left, since that's where the gap was.

When a their central player went out belatedly – be it Alexis Mac Allister – then he created openings in the middle ahead of the back line because they were missing a player from the midfield.

All this becomes less critical when playing opponents that they control the ball against – evidenced by Liverpool previous league wins using such tactics – but they must tighten up because the elite teams will capitalize.

'Liverpool Have Lost Control of Matches'

It isn't as if Salah has changed his role this season, but because he is not scoring in attack, maybe the defensive aspect of his game is amplified.

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

He got into great situations versus Chelsea but maybe took a chance when he could have assisted, and the opposite, but those opportunities will keep coming and the scores will follow.

The biggest worry with Liverpool currently is their lack of control in games relative to last season.

This has been a frustrating week for them, of course, not only to suffer three matches in a row in the Premier League and Champions League but because the display standards have not been expectations.

There are extenuating circumstances, of course, with all the squad adjustments in the off-season and the number of players who did not have pre-season, but last season Slot's Liverpool seemed so effective at controlling matches and that is not the situation.

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

This was an aspect that observers immediately noticed he had introduced to the team, in contrast to what it was like under the former coach.

Now, though, observing them and it looks somewhat chaotic. The last half-hour of the Chelsea match was so frenetic it resembled a cup tie – they had opportunities to secure victory, but gave away many chances too, which is why they ended up defeated.

{How Can Slot Fix Liverpool Problems?

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

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

The positive news is they are just one point adrift of leaders the front-runners and have time to correct the issues that are going wrong.

The physical aspect they are missing will improve because the individuals who did not have a full training camp, like midfielders and defenders, will reach peak fitness shortly.

Developing effective understanding on the field always takes patience too, whether it be between the defender and Salah or other important combinations.

Therefore, there is no reason to overreact. It seems like at the moment in the Premier League, and not just with this team but with every side, you are a single match away from 'catastrophe' and criticism.

The reality is what has happened to them this week will probably occur at some point to Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

I didn't previously believed that side would be in the championship chase, but if their star striker stays this hungry and healthy they will compete.

Arsenal, in defence, appear superb again and, in general, after several matches they seem very comfortable in what they are doing across the pitch – it seems a extension of last season, with an added layer of quality and squad strength.

For them it seems more of a rebuild at present. But although there is still work to do for them to find the optimal balance and combinations, it is expected everyone is anticipating them to improve as the campaign unfolds.