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It appears that the Egyptian star's limited defensive contributions is emerging as a minor issue for the Merseyside club, particularly when facing stronger teams.

I can fully grasp if manager Arne Slot has directed the forward not to track back, since staying high on the right side during transitions has established him as one of the global most dangerous strikers.

But, the teammates in support are not providing sufficient defensive support, causing significant issues for anyone has been at right-back this season.

Be it Jeremie Frimpong or another player, they end up in difficulty due to facing a 2v1 overload on that flank.

It proved a clear weakness in the recent match, leading to the opponent's winning goal – and the worry is that more teams will intelligently target this weak spot.

{'Salah Is Given License to Avoid Defence Duties'

First of all, I doubt that the manager is instructing Salah to help defensively and support his right-back.

Should he had been instructed to follow Chelsea's defender Marc Cucurella, then it was very obvious he did not comply, and the coach would not accept that.

Rather, the manager is allowing him the liberty to concentrate solely on offensive play, which is acceptable – there are many instances of different clubs adopting similar tactics, with players who choose to conserve their energy for attacking actions.

Yes, there are still certain situations in a game when the team is under pressure and one might feel compelled to track back.

It's known he is capable, because when Liverpool won at Manchester City previously, his defensive performance was among the best observed from him.

However, he must have been specifically asked to do so on that occasion, 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 Structured Behind Salah'

The concern with Salah stems from how Liverpool are organized behind him, particularly when playing stronger teams.

His teammates need to provide better and faster help, because it seemed like the opposition were moving the ball forward and subsequently switching it to their left, because that's where the space was.

If a Liverpool midfielder moved wide belatedly – be it Alexis Mac Allister – then he created openings in central areas in front of the back line because they were losing a man from the midfield.

This situation becomes less of a problem when facing opponents that you dominate possession against – evidenced by their past success playing this way – but they must tighten up as the elite teams will take advantage.

'Liverpool Have Lost Control of Matches'

It is not as if Salah has altered his role this season, but since he is not scoring in attack, maybe the defensive aspect of his game is amplified.

I'm not too worried about his current performance, as he will return to form – he always does – in terms of his finishing.

He got into great situations versus their opponents but maybe shot when he could have assisted, and the opposite, but those chances will keep coming and the scores will follow.

My main concern with Liverpool currently is their reduced command in games relative to the previous campaign.

This has been a frustrating week for them, of course, not only to lose three games in a row in the Premier League and Champions League but as the display standards have fallen below expectations.

There are extenuating circumstances, certainly, with all the personnel changes in the off-season and the number of individuals who did not have preparatory training, but previously Slot's Liverpool appeared so effective at controlling matches and that is no longer the case.

It seemed like their organization was sound, and Slot's more possession-based style provided greater control.

This was an aspect that people immediately saw he had added to the squad, compared to what it was like under previous management.

Now, however, I watch them and it looks somewhat chaotic. The last half-hour of the Chelsea match was so frenetic it felt like a cup tie – they had opportunities to secure victory, but gave away several opportunities too, which is why they ended up defeated.

{How Can Slot Fix The Team's Issues?

We can identify a several aspects that are not right about Liverpool, and I keep seeing them losing possession, but this is not an hopeless scenario.

Just because Liverpool have several 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 calm.

The positive aspect is they are just one point adrift of leaders the front-runners and have opportunity to correct the issues that are underperforming.

The physical aspect they are missing will come because the players who missed a full pre-season, like midfielders and defenders, will reach peak fitness shortly.

Building effective understanding on the pitch requires patience too, be it between the right-back and Salah or other important 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 a single match away from 'catastrophe' and scrutiny.

The truth is what has happened to them recently will likely occur at some stage to Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

I had not previously thought City would be in the title race, but if their star striker remains this hungry and healthy they will be in contention.

Arsenal, in defence, appear excellent again and, overall, after seven games they seem very assured in what they are doing across the pitch – it seems a extension of their previous form, with an added layer of talent and squad strength.

With Liverpool it seems more of a rebuild right now. But while there is still work to do for them to find the optimal balance and partnerships, it is expected everyone expects them to improve as the campaign unfolds.