Fabinho, right, has failed to control the tempo of games in the absence of Henderson, who remains sidelined with injury

Liverpool’s swagger has been replaced by a stutter over the past fortnight with three defeats in four games stifling the momentum Jürgen Klopp’s side had built up. A first Premier League title remains inevitable but before Atletico Madrid’s visit on Wednesday for the Champions League round-of-16 second leg, with the Spanish side leading 1-0, the Liverpool manager will be seeking improvements to five key areas.

Soft centre

Where once Liverpool were miserly, now they have become generous opponents with individual mistakes fuelling an unfamiliar sense of vulnerability. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk were guilty of uncharacteristic errors in the 3-0 defeat by Watford and Adrián, apparently unsighted, allowed Willian’s shot to evade his grasp for Chelsea’s opening goal in Tuesday’s FA Cup loss after