```html Liverpool's Late Goal Problem: From Champions to Crisis in a Week

Liverpool's early-season reliance on late goals has backfired spectacularly, culminating in three consecutive defeats and a slide from the Premier League summit. After a string of dramatic late wins masked indifferent form, Arne Slot's side has now suffered two Premier League losses and a Champions League setback, all within the space of seven days, exposing underlying vulnerabilities.

Champions League Defeat Compounds Domestic Woes

Chelsea's 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, sealed by Estevao Willian's 95th-minute goal, was preceded by a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, where Eddie Nketiah struck in the 97th minute. Sandwiched between these Premier League losses was a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul, marking the first time Slot has lost three successive games in his managerial career.

Earlier in the season, Liverpool had cultivated a reputation for snatching late victories, with Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Burnley, and Atletico Madrid all succumbing to last-gasp goals. However, this strategy proved unsustainable, particularly with Liverpool struggling to replicate the dominant form of their title-winning campaign.

Slot Remains Defiant Despite Mounting Pressure

Despite the mounting pressure, Slot remained defiant, highlighting the narrow margins that have defined Liverpool's recent results. "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."

The statistics paint a stark picture of Liverpool's vulnerability in the closing stages of matches. A staggering 10 goals have been scored after the 80th minute in Liverpool's 11 games this season, with the majority directly impacting the final result.

Analysis: New Signings and Tactical Tweaks Expose Defensive Frailties

Liverpool's struggles can be attributed, in part, to the integration of several new signings and tactical adjustments implemented by Slot. The influx of nearly £450m worth of talent, including Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, has disrupted the team's balance, leaving them more exposed defensively. The introduction of attacking full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez has further contributed to their vulnerability on the counter-attack.

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin offered his perspective on Liverpool's current predicament, stating, "Arne Slot won the league in his first season, and he's had to change things up a bit. Remember, he said himself, Liverpool have this big, gigantic target on their back now, everyone wants to beat them. That's the problem you've got if you're the champions. That's why it's so hard to retain the title."

Salah's Struggles Mirror Liverpool's Decline

Mohamed Salah, a talismanic figure for Liverpool since his arrival in 2017, has also endured a dip in form, mirroring the team's overall struggles. The Egyptian forward has been uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal, lacking the sharpness and confidence that have defined his previous seasons. His missed opportunities in the defeat against Chelsea were particularly glaring, highlighting his current crisis of confidence.

Rooney: Chelsea Showed More Bite

Former England forward Wayne Rooney, a pundit on Match of the Day, offered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's performance against Chelsea. "I thought Chelsea just wanted it a little bit more," Rooney said. "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. 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."

Liverpool's Late Goals - For and Against

The Wins:

Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 88' and Mohamed Salah 90+4' Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League) - Rio Ngumoha 90+10' Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal (Premier League) - Dominik Szoboszlai 83' Burnley 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Mohamed Salah (pen) 90+3' Liverpool 3-2 Atletico Madrid (Champions League) - Virgil van Dijk 90+2' Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (League Cup) - Hugo Ekitike 85'

The Defeats:

Crystal Palace 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Federico Chiesa 87' and Eddie Nketiah 90+7' Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (Premier League) - Estevao Willian 90+5'

International Break Offers a Chance to Reset

After a challenging week, the upcoming international break provides Liverpool with an opportunity to regroup and address their underlying issues. Slot will be hoping that the break allows his players to clear their heads and return with renewed focus and determination as they aim to rediscover the form that propelled them to the Premier League title. ```