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Liverpool’s high-wire act has been fraught with danger this season and the Premier League champions have now lost their balance spectacularly to fall from the top of the table.

Arne Slot’s reigning champions snatched wins with late goals in the early stages of the defence of their title, relying on dramatic final acts to escape to victory while disguising form that has been indifferent since the season started.

Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Burnley and Atletico Madrid all fell to last-gasp blows – but it was a high-risk unsustainable strategy, especially with Liverpool so far from their best.

And now they have received a bitter taste of their own medicine twice in seven days.

Chelsea’s deserved 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge came courtesy of Estevao Willian’s 95th-minute strike, while Liverpool’s first Premier League defeat of the season was inflicted by Eddie Nketiah’s 97th-minute goal for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

In between these defeats, Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1-0 in the unique atmosphere of Istanbul’s imposing RAMS Park in the Champions League, Slot losing three successive games for the first time in his coaching career.

Slot was in defiant mood in the aftermath of another disappointment, going through his full range of brave faces while accentuating the positive in the face of evidence to the contrary.

“Last week, same as this week, the fine margins haven’t been in our favour,” Slot told BBC Match of the Day.

“In both games we’ve created more chances than the team we have faced – Palace and Chelsea – but the truth is that we have only scored once in both games and our opponent has scored twice.”

Fine margins indeed – but there is no denying the remarkable swing in fortunes. A staggering 10 goals have been scored after the 80th-minute mark in Liverpool’s 11 games so far this season.

The wins…

The defeats…

Late goals or otherwise, the brutal truth is that Liverpool have been a pale shadow of the side the cruised to the Premier League last season since the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, the tables being turned on them dramatically in the last week as the flaws that have been in evidence since that Wembley defeat have been exposed.

Liverpool have looked unbalanced after an influx of nearly £450m worth of new signings, the introduction of £116m Florian Wirtz into a role behind the strikers – whether it was £70m Hugo Ekitike or £125m Alexander Isak – leaving them more exposed through the centre.

The arrival of two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, with instinctive attacking tendencies has also left Liverpool more vulnerable on the counter.

Slot gave Liverpool a more familiar look at Chelsea by dropping Wirtz to restore the title-winning midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Mac Allister.

Liverpool were not quite as open, although Szoboszlai was moved to right-back when Conor Bradley was replaced at half-time, but for all Slot’s positive messages this was another largely flat display. They still almost got a point through Cody Gakpo’s equaliser after Moises Caicedo’s magnificent early opener for Chelsea.

This was until Estevao intervened as the biters of early in the season were painfully bitten back.

“I thought Chelsea just wanted it a little bit more,” said ex-England forward Wayne Rooney, who is a pundit on Saturday’s Match of the Day. “They showed more bite and determination in how they played. It wasn’t the Liverpool we’ve been used to watching and Chelsea definitely deserved the three points.

“I know that’s now back-to-back Premier League games where Liverpool have lost because of late goals but that’s just the way it can go. They obviously started the season really well, scoring late goals themselves, but have now had a bad spell, losing three times in the space of a week, and it can be difficult to get out of that type of slump.”

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told BBC 5 Live Sport that Liverpool’s status as champions means they are firmly in the sights of their rivals.

“Arne Slot won the league in his first season and he’s had to change things up a bit,” said Nevin.

Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players ever to pull on the Liverpool shirt, has been emblematic of their struggles.

Only a fool would write off the 33-year-old who has been applying brush strokes of genius since he arrived at Anfield from Roma in June 2017, but even this great appears to be currently suffering a crisis of confidence.

Salah uncharacteristically lost possession too often then, when played in by a clever Wirtz flick at the start of the second half, dragged a perfect opportunity to equalise wide.

The Egyptian’s shooting was also wild and wayward when he carved out shooting chances later in the half, his head bowed in disappointment at his own efforts.

Isak currently looks way off match sharpness, although he can claim an assist for Gakpo’s goal as he turned on Szoboszlai’s cross.

He headed a very presentable chance well off target from Salah’s cross in the first half, looking out on his feet when he was replaced by Hugo Ekitike with 16 minutes left, his last act a vain plea for a penalty when he clashed with Reece James.

Wirtz showed some nice touches but was again mainly on the edges of the action rather than a central figure.

After Liverpool regroup following the international break, they will justifiably expect a lot more from £241m worth of attacking talent in Wirtz and Isak.

From a team threatening to carry all before it earlier in the season, albeit without being at their best and relying on late goals, Liverpool now look rocky.

This has been the worst week for Slot since he succeeded Jurgen Klopp.

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.

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.