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The Premier League champions have now lost their balance dramatically falling from the top of the table due to Liverpool’s high-wire act, which has been full of danger this season.

In the first few days of Arne Slot’s reigning champions’ title defense, the reigning champions used dramatic final acts to snag wins while hiding their lackluster season-caliber form.

It was a high-risk, unsustainable strategy, especially with Liverpool being at their worst, but Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Burnley, and Atletico Madrid all suffered last-gasp blows.

And now, in seven days, they have had their own medicine taste bitter twice.

Estevao Willian’s 95th-minute winner gave Chelsea a deserved 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, while Eddie Nketiah’s 97th-minute goal for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park caused Liverpool’s first Premier League defeat of the season.

In the Champions League, Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the distinctive atmosphere of Istanbul’simposing RAMS Park, with Slot losing three games in a row for the first time in his coaching career.

In the wake of yet another disappointment, Slot was in defiance of the evidence, displaying all of his bravery while highlighting the positive.

According to Slot, “Last week, same as this week, the fine margins haven’t been in our favor.”

“We created more chances than the team we faced, Palace and Chelsea,” according to the statement, “but our opponent only scored once in both games and twice.”

Fine margins indeed, but the remarkable fortune shift is unmistakable. In Liverpool’s 11 games so far this season, a staggering 10 goals have been scored after the 80th minute.

The wins…

The failures …

The brutal truth is that Liverpool have been a pale shadow of the team that won the League last year following Crystal Palace’s Community Shield defeat, and the blame has been turned dramatically on them since the last week as flaws have been exposed.

After a total of nearly £450 million worth of new signings, including the arrival of £116 million Florian Wirtz in a role behind the strikers, which left them more vulnerable through the centre, they have appeared unbalanced.

Liverpool has become more vulnerable on the counter with the addition of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, two new full-backs with instinctive attacking instincts.

By removing Wirtz, Slot restored the title-winning midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Alex Mac Allister, giving Liverpool a more familiar look at Chelsea.

Despite Slot’s positive messages, this was another largely flat display despite the fact that Szoboszlai was moved to right-back when Conor Bradley was replaced at half-time. After Moises Caicedo’s magnificent opening goal for Chelsea, they were still on the verge of scoring the equalizer.

Estevao intervened as the season’s early biters were painfully bitten back before they could get better.

Former England international Wayne Rooney, a pundit on Saturday’s Match of the Day, said, “I thought Chelsea just wanted it a little bit more.” They played with more vigor and tenacity than they did. Chelsea definitely deserved the three points, despite not the Liverpool we’ve grown to know.

“I am aware that Liverpool are now playing back-to-back Premier League games with late goals in them, but that’s just the way it can go.” It’s obvious that they did a good job of opening the season, scoring late goals themselves, but they’ve now had a bad week, losing three times in a row. It’s challenging to escape that kind of slump.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin claimed that Liverpool are firmly in the sights of their rivals because of their title status.

Arne Slot won the league in his first year, according to Nevin, who has had to alter things a little.

One of the greatest players to ever grace the Liverpool shirt, Mohamed Salah, has been a hero of their struggles.

The 33-year-old has been applying blatant genius since arriving at Anfield from Roma in June 2017, but even this great appears to be having a crisis of confidence right now.

When a clever Wirtz flick at the beginning of the second half drew a perfect chance to equalize wide, Salah uncharacteristically lost possession too frequently.

Later in the half, the Egyptian’s shooting became wild and foolish, and his head bowed in dismay at his own actions.

Isak turns on Szoboszlai’s cross while looking far off-match sharpness, but he can get an assist in Gakpo’s goal as he does so.

With 16 minutes left, he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike, who had already made a vain plea for a penalty after he clashed with Reece James, and he headed a very presentable chance well off target from Salah’s cross.

Although Wirtz did some nice things, he was primarily a central figure rather than a character in the action.

After the international break, Liverpool will legitimately anticipate much more from the £241 million-worth of Wirtz and Isak attacking talent.

Liverpool now appears to be struggling from a team that threatened to carry it all before it did it earlier this year, despite not performing at their best and relying on late goals.

Slot has had his worst week since taking over Jurgen Klopp’s place.

At the Dutch BMX European Freestyle Championships, Dylan Hessey from Great Britain won a gold medal.

The 22-year-old won the men’s title at the Area 51 Skatepark in Eindhoven with a score of 95.20 on his second outing.

Marin Rantes (93.35) and Russian-born neutral athlete Nikita Fominov (89.60), who both won silver and bronze, came second and third overall.

Kieran Reilly, a fellow Briton who won Olympic silver at Paris 2024, placed 11th overall with a score of 69.80.

Sasha Pardoe had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s competition.

The 19-year-old’s second run saw her score 84.20, but Kim Lea Muller (89.70) and Noemi Molnar (88.10) in opposition.

At the Dutch BMX European Freestyle Championships, Dylan Hessey from Great Britain won a gold medal.

The 22-year-old won the men’s title at the Area 51 Skatepark in Eindhoven with a score of 95.20 on his second outing.

Marin Rantes (93.35) and Russian-born neutral athlete Nikita Fominov (89.60), who both won silver and bronze, came second and third overall.

Kieran Reilly, a fellow Briton who won Olympic silver at Paris 2024, placed 11th overall with a score of 69.80.

Sasha Pardoe had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s competition.

The 19-year-old’s second run saw her score 84.20, but Kim Lea Muller (89.70) and Noemi Molnar (88.10) in opposition.

At the Dutch BMX European Freestyle Championships, Dylan Hessey from Great Britain won a gold medal.

The 22-year-old won the men’s title at the Area 51 Skatepark in Eindhoven with a score of 95.20 on his second outing.

Marin Rantes (93.35) and Russian-born neutral athlete Nikita Fominov (89.60), who both won silver and bronze, came second and third overall.

Kieran Reilly, a fellow Briton who won Olympic silver at Paris 2024, placed 11th overall with a score of 69.80.

Sasha Pardoe had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s competition.

The 19-year-old’s second run saw her score 84.20, but Kim Lea Muller (89.70) and Noemi Molnar (88.10) in opposition.

The EFL action this weekend featured a consistent dose of ecstasy and despair, not least of which at Hillsborough, where Coventry, who are now in charge of the Championship, defeated troubled Sheffield Wednesday 5-0.

Coventry are currently unbeaten this term and have soared into the top spot after ruckling in their past three games with 12 goals and conceding none despite narrowly losing in the Championship play-offs last year.

Could Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues’ play-off heartbreak from last year actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise?

McLean: They definitely appear to have improved and learned from the previous season, which is always going to be the biggest test. They have already passed that test with flying colors.

Coventry haven’t caused that to happen, which is common for teams to experience. You can go up too early, in my opinion, if they were to continue their quest for promotion this year.

In terms of the structure and his preferred method of execution, Frank Lampard successfully delivered his message last year, but the team now appears to be more cohesive. They consistently deliver outstanding performances, not just receiving wins, week after week.

Coventry has Haji Wright, Ellis Simms, who you know is capable, and Brandon Thomas-Asante, who scored two goals against Sheffield Wednesday and has a stellar record, as a team that needs to be promoted.

The club made a fifth consecutive failure to pay player and staff wages earlier this week.

Where should Wednesday, who is currently tied for second place with one win this season, go from here?

McLean: For a big club with such a rich history like Sheffield Wednesday, it’s a really dark day. It’s sad to see them in this way, and your focus is now on the EFL’s future.

Fans clearly felt their words were falling on deaf ears and they needed to take drastic action, even though we don’t condone fans protesting on the pitch and disrupting games.

You have to admit that the players have handled it brilliantly and have produced some truly positive outcomes over the past few weeks, including wins over Portsmouth and draws against QPR and Birmingham.

After recording their eighth win of the season at home to Luton, Unfancied Stevenage are now the top team in League One.

With a game in hand, the Hertfordshire club may be a real contenders for promotion to the second tier for the first time in their history, one point ahead of Bradford City.

Without a shadow of a doubt, McLean. They have only played 10 games so far, but they have already won eight of them, which is why I spoke to (manager) Alex Revell.

Nobody would have anticipated Stevenage to be even in and around the playoffs, let alone top of the division with a game in hand on most teams, given that they finished 14th last year.

The strength and determination that Alex’s team exhibits week in and week out, which perfectly exemplifies what he was like as a player: all action, hard work, and achieving the best results.

After falling to AFC Wimbledon with a 2-0 home defeat, Blackpool parted ways with manager Steve Bruce, leaving them in 23rd place.

Following their seventh defeat in 11 games, Bruce’s players were booed off the field, and the team later announced his departure.

McLean: I’d like to see them continue to support Steve Bruce. I have a strong sense of Brucie’s leadership and know he is a great manager. Unfortunately, if you’re not getting results in football, you’re rarely given time.

We all know that your job is in jeopardy if you don’t win games as a manager. I’m not sure how much people were expecting from Blackpool this season, but I’m sure they wouldn’t have been.

Steve Cotterill, a second-time EFL manager, has returned to his familiar surroundings after taking over from the Southern League for a second time.

With a 2-0 victory over Fleetwood at home, the Robins moved out of League Two’s relegation zone. Will Cotterill’s return demonstrate what Cheltenham must do to maintain its EFL status?

McLean: I think the club made a fantastic decision. Steve loves the game, and he couldn’t refuse the chance to try to help the club get out of the predicament he was in.

He has many fond memories of Cheltenham, he is one of the most trustworthy and diligent managers I’ve ever worked with, and it is surprising to see him receive a prompt response.

He will give his players their best, and that’s already what we’ve seen already. He will do that to back his players to the fullest.