Liverpool slipped to their fifth-straight home defeat in the Premier League as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Thursday night.

Pearce reacts

The Reds lost out to a well-taken Mason Mount strike just before half-time, in a game where Jurgen Klopp's side only managed to register just one shot on target during the 90 minutes.

The German tactician's substitutions raised some eyebrows on the night - taking off the Premier League's top goalscorer Mohamed Salah after the hour mark. Despite having Naby Keita at his disposal, he brought James Milner on as his final change as opposed to the more creative midfielder.

This move from Klopp confused Pearce. Replying to a fan on The Athletic's Q&A session after the full-time whistle, the journalist seemed baffled by the decision not to feature Keita when Liverpool were chasing a goal.

He said: "Naby Keita would have been [a better choice to bring on]. Very odd decision. The subs didn't improve LFC tonight. Liverpool just don't attack with the same kind of fluidity and intensity. The structure of the team looks wrong."

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Pearce is spot on here. It looks as if Klopp made changes just to go with some fresh legs - as opposed to a shift of tactics.

Keita's attacking prowess could have provided Liverpool with a different dimension. While they were much better in the second half, the Reds' number eight may have provided some cutting edge in the final third.

While injuries at the back have been an issue, going forward, Liverpool look incredibly lacklustre and some tough decisions need to be made.

In other news, Emile Heskey believes Liverpool mainstay needs to 'take a backseat.'