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Keep serenity. This proved to be the Zen-like counsel offered by Virgil van Dijk and the academy graduate recently as the team digested consecutive setbacks for the second time under Arne Slot.

Slot was unfazed and positive in his latest address, interspersing multiple unprompted points that the squad he was defending from rare criticism are at the summit of the the league. Once more. But underneath the reassuring messages and encouraging standings, there are indisputable concerns with the club's displays that, per the coach personally, extend further than the first 10 games of the campaign.

We felt very happy claiming the league,” stated the Liverpool boss. “However we kept open our eyes for the second part of the campaign to the frequency with which we depended on a free-kick or corner [to win].”

Last season's title winners haven't finding it difficult to produce openings from live action or to turn dominant possession into convincing victories in recent months, their boss maintained. Liverpool were facing difficulties to do both from the second half of last season, once other teams changed their strategies to contain the Reds, and are have not discovered solutions.

Data-driven Support

Data corroborate his claims. In the first nineteen matches of his maiden term, Liverpool notched 47 goals with forty (eighty-five point one percent) resulting from general play. In the concluding 19 league games, the club scored 39 goals, of which twenty-seven (just over two-thirds) were from open play. The reduction was improved in the current campaign, admittedly in limited games, with 83.3% of Liverpool's twelve top-flight strikes coming from live action (83.3%).

• First 19 games: eighty-five point one percent of goals from open play
• Final 19 games: 69.2% of goals from open play
• Present campaign: 83.3% of goals from open play

But the team's performances so far this term, especially the losses at Selhurst Park and in Istanbul in the span of four days, can not be linked solely to a dip in corner and free-kick quality only. Moreover, their run of seven victories before traveling to Crystal Palace was often accompanied by the reservation that Liverpool scored decisive goals in the closing stages and/or in spite of an inconsistent performance.

Squad Challenges

Florian Wirtz is still adjusting to the intensity of the English football and is a big-money acquisition that the manager is still trying to accommodate to optimal performance. Liverpool's recent defensive signings, one new full-back and Milos Kerkez, were publicly backed by their boss before the setback in Istanbul but are not currently at the performance of the players they replaced.

Alexander Isak is short of full sharpness after spending the off-season in dispute at his former club, and the centre-back's displays has abandoned him. The problems goes on. Only Hugo Ekitiké, Van Dijk, Alisson, who will miss the upcoming match to Chelsea with a muscle problem, Dominik Szoboszlai and the engine-room player have played to a high standard so far this season.

Crucial Missing piece

Liverpool are in dire need of the creative force to recover optimal condition and his contribution over their pace, calmness and penetration. The midfielder was left out of the final two games of last season to commence his rehabilitation from a ongoing physical problem and be ready in shape for the build-up. That was, that was the intention. The midfielder's return to fitness proved more protracted than anticipated, the preparation period was frequently interrupted as a result, and a key component in the manager's setup has failed to play 90 minutes for his team following the narrow victory at the Foxes on 20 April.

“People claim he’s playing catchup,” Slot commented. “Back home we say he is out of sync.” They will be a different proposition once the Argentine is directing midfield together with his Dutch teammate anew.

Next Steps

Slot has highlighted the benefits of adaptability in his overhauled lineup, with the summer arrivals the German, the Frenchman, Isak and Frimpong capable of operate in a variety of positions, but a side undergoing change could do with greater stability in lineup choices to hasten the integration.

I believe we do things differently but I notice teams adopting a lot of strategies in a changed manner when facing us,” he stated. “The previous manager gave me a lot of advantages but one of the gifts I inherited was ending up in the top three the previous season and in fifth position the year before that.”

The Reds have enough top-tier stars to correct their patchy displays, as Curtis Jones stated lately, but the coach acknowledges the solution is trickier than relying on Wirtz and Isak to find their form. Stamford Bridge could be a perfect setting to commence, however.

It's a mix,” he said. “In what way can we get the ball to our fliers? Are we reaching them often enough and in promising situations {like we did|as we managed|similar