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It appears that Mohamed Salah's lack of defensive work has turned into a slight problem for Liverpool, particularly against stronger teams.

It's understandable if coach Arne Slot has instructed Salah to avoid defensive duties, since positioning himself advanced on the right side when regaining possession has made him one of the global most dangerous strikers.

However, the players in support fail to offer adequate cover, causing numerous issues for whoever is playing at the right defensive position in recent matches.

Be it Conor Bradley or Dominik Szoboszlai, they end up in difficulty due to dealing with a numerical disadvantage on their side.

It proved a noticeable weakness on Saturday, resulting in the opponent's winning goal – and the worry is that other sides will smartly exploit this weak spot.

{'Salah Is Given License to Skip Defensive Work

Primarily, I doubt that Slot is instructing the attacker to help defensively and assist his right-back.

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

Rather, Slot is allowing Salah the liberty to focus exclusively on attacking duties, which is acceptable – there are numerous instances of other teams adopting similar approaches, with players who choose to conserve their energy for forward moves.

Yes, there are still specific moments in a game when you are conceding chances and you might take it upon yourself to help out.

It's known he can do it, because when Liverpool won at Manchester City previously, his work rate was outstanding I've seen from him.

But, he likely been specifically asked to perform that role on that occasion, which is why I don't blame him if he is asked to remain advanced.

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

The issue with Salah stems from how the side set up behind him, particularly against top teams.

The other teammates must provide more and faster help, because it seemed like the opposition were advancing the ball upfield and then shifting it to their left, since that's where the gap existed.

When a their midfielder went out belatedly – whether it be Ryan Gravenberch – then he created openings in the middle ahead of the back line because they were losing a man from the center.

All this is less of a problem when facing teams that they control the ball against – evidenced by their past success playing such tactics – but they need to tighten up as the top sides will take advantage.

'Liverpool Have Lost Command of Games'

It is not as if he has changed his role this season, but because he is not scoring in attack, perhaps the defensive side of his performance is amplified.

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

He got into some excellent positions against Chelsea but perhaps took a chance when he could have assisted, and vice versa, but those chances will keep coming and the scores will come.

My main worry with Liverpool currently is their reduced command in matches relative to last season.

It has been a disappointing period for them, of course, not just to lose three games in a row in the domestic league and Champions League but as the display standards have fallen below what we expect.

There are mitigating factors, certainly, with the numerous personnel changes in the summer and the several of players who did not have pre-season, but last season the manager's side seemed so effective at managing games and that is no longer the situation.

It felt like their organization was solid, and his more possession-based style provided better control.

It was an aspect that observers instantly noticed he had introduced to the squad, in contrast to what it was like under previous management.

Currently, however, I watch them and it looks somewhat disorganized. The final 30 minutes of the recent game was so frenetic it resembled a cup tie – they had opportunities to win it, but gave away many opportunities too, which is why they ultimately defeated.

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

We can identify a few things that are off about Liverpool, and repeatedly notice them giving the ball away, but I don't see an hopeless situation.

Just because Liverpool have several new players – and different types too – they don't need to alter their approach. They just need to return to being slightly more patient and calm.

The positive aspect is they are only one point behind table-toppers Arsenal and have time to fix the issues that are underperforming.

Fitness element they are missing will improve because the players who did not have a proper pre-season, like key attackers and defenders, will reach optimal condition soon.

Building proper understanding on the pitch requires time too, whether it be between the right-back and Salah or other key combinations.

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

The reality is what has happened to Liverpool recently will likely occur at some point to Arsenal and Manchester City as well.

I didn't previously thought that side would be in the title race, but if a key attacker stays motivated and fit they will compete.

Arsenal, in defence, look excellent again and, in general, after several matches they seem very comfortable in their performances in all areas – 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 ongoing work to do for them to establish the right equilibrium and partnerships, it is expected all is anticipating them to improve as the season unfolds.