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It's been some time, but Liverpool's forward returned assuming the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's place at the upcoming World Cup. The key player taking the limelight another time. Liverpool need him to remain there.

Reasons for Inconsistent Displays

We see several causes why variable, unimpressive displays have been the recurring theme defining Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from so many summer changes, the coach's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his atypically low-key start to the season.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's big match could deliver the spark for the origin of a record 16 strikes in 17 games for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will create the manager with a further unexpected problem, however, should he continue lost in the turmoil indefinitely.

Latest Display

Liverpool's manager must have recognized the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent recently. Drilled immediately with the outside of his left foot into the near post, his eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar position to his costly miss versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been finished shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising the new signing's maiden superb setup in the English top flight. Inquests into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's search goes on while Slot broods over a third loss on the road, a couple inflicted by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his future persisted in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in the spring. We have seen a clear decrease on an individual and team level from then. The squad, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Decline

His production in terms of goals and assists is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from 15 to five, contributing to a steep drop in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, versus fourteen at the same stage of last campaign, his figures stay among the best in Europe and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Display

Indicators of team performance will concern the coach further. Salah had 76 contacts in the opposition box in the opening seven matches of last season. This term's count is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the team's issues as a whole. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's rate of shots from within the six-yard area is the lowest in the top flight, their share from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is also among the weakest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mostly scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Now we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play generates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't punishing opponents in the fashion Slot imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed recently, although the team are the league's third-best goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to reach the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Think what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of exceptional individual quality, capable of igniting and chasing any rival for the championship, but synergy is missing. This can not be pinned on the new signings only.

Personal and Team Problems

The player is not the only key member to suffer a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and the defender struggling. But he ends up at the center of the turmoil that has lately enveloped Liverpool. That goes to a personal level, with his sorrow over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional first game against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's death can not be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he