Arne Slot has already given response to Wayne Rooney criticism of Mo Salah and Marc Curcurella tactic claim

It’s been a hot topic of conversation since Liverpool’s third successive defeat.

In fairness, there have been plenty of talking points. The failure to break lines and ponderous build-up play, pressing woes and the dip in form of players such as Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister have all been discussed. As has Mo Salah’s jettison.

After firing 33 goals in all competitions last campaign, the Reds’ talisman’s performances have been well below what he is capable of. In seven league games, he scored late to round off a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth and bagged the stoppage-time penalty to deliver a 1-0 triumph at Burnley. His attacking output has dropped markedly.

But it is also Salah’s defensive contributions that have faced scrutiny. Chelsea bagged a 96th-minute goal to deliver a 2-1 victory over Arne Slot’s champions last weekend. Estevao Willian turned in at the back post when he got on the end of Marc Cucurella’s cross.

During a post-match interview, Cucurella revealed that Chelsea intentionally targeted the space down Liverpool’s right flank that was left exposed by Salah. Cucurella told Sky Sports: "We know that Salah is always ready for the counterattack so we practiced that and the manager said that the space might be there [on the right side of Liverpool]. We saw that it was the last minute but we kept attacking. I tried to give my last effort and Enzo [Fernanez] gave me the ball and I crossed for Estevao."

After taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat, a tactical decision that Slot made was to allow Salah more leeway to stay higher up the pitch. It was something that the head coach and the Egypt international discussed last summer - and it yielded the Premier League title in the Dutchman’s first year at the helm.

Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of last term, Salah said: "Now I don't have to defend much. It is quite difficult to say one thing, but the tactics are quite different. But I told him, 'As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively' - so I'm glad I did. It was the manager's idea, of course, but he listens a lot."

However, with Liverpool struggling for fluidity and coherence, and conceding nine goals in the Premier League so far, former Kop midfielder Danny Murphy admitted Salah’s defensive duties something that Slot is going to have to address. Ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright agreed. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney was harsher with his choice of words towards Salah.

"We know he doesn't always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game his full-back was getting torn apart and he was watching," said the ex-England captain on the The Wayne Rooney Show. "He's not getting back and helping, and players like [Virgil] Van Dijk and the leaders in the dressing room should be telling him, 'you need to help out'.

"That was a worry and I think he has looked a bit lost over the last week. When it's going well and you're scoring goals and winning games it's great and the team will put up with that but, over the last week, I would question his work ethic."

After the game, Slot was asked about Cucurella’s comments and how Chelsea worked on the tactic. The Liverpool head coach insisted Salah did not lose the left-back. Speaking to beIN Sport, Slot said: “It’[s a tactic they used and not the first team a tactic uses. It happens more and we’re normally quite able to stop that.

“In transitions, like you saw many times, Mo was open in transition and we could have scored from these moments, which we didn’t and they scored from a moment where Cucurella was attacking. But the moment he ran off to go deep, he didn’t run of Mo and I think we can defend that in front of the goal.”