Arne Slot reveals when he first had concerns over Liverpool's performances as boss pinpoints key area his out-of-sorts champions are failing to deliver

Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool are struggling to find a new rhythm and has harboured concerns since the second half of the title-winning campaign.

Liverpool head to Chelsea on the back of consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, only the second time this has happened during Slot's reign. It is a game the head coach expects to be tight and will be determined by key moments, particularly set pieces.

Trying to breakdown low blocks has been a theme of 2025 for Liverpool and while they were proficient in doing it in the final stages of last season, when they collected their 20th title, Slot saw issues that he realised would need to be corrected with a number of new additions.

Statistics back this up. When Slot arrived from Feyenoord, Liverpool scored 47 goals in his first 19 Premier League matches - 40 of which came from open play; the second 19 games were significantly different, though, with the totals dropping to 39 (total) and 27 (open play).

Slot believes Liverpool's headaches against teams defending deep were masked by their ability to take advantage of corners and free-kicks - they scored eight such goals - but, this season, there has been another drop off from their set piece output.

The Dutchman said: 'In the last two games we've lost, we've lost a few very simple balls and that adds to the fact that: "Wow! Are we playing poor?" We were 2-0 up against Bournemouth, in a very, very good game - much better than we played, maybe in total in the second half of the season.

'But then we concede two and everybody is starting to be more negative about that as well. I can come up with a few other examples. Atletico Madrid: an unbelievable start of the game but then they come back, and all of a sudden, the general opinion is not as positive anymore.

'We were very happy winning the league but we didn't shut our eyes for the second part of the season - how many times we needed a set-piece (to win). This is not a not something bad because Arsenal and Chelsea are needing a set-piece almost every single game at the moment.'

It is assumed the additions of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz will, in time, give Liverpool a new style but Wirtz, while he is creating chances, still looks like things are happening too quickly for him and he hasn't been able to stamp his authority on a game.

'If you look at out schedule, the only way we can improve the team by having video meetings,' said Slot, who will be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker until after Liverpool play Manchester United on October 19. 'That is nothing new, so there's not an excuse. It's just how it is.'