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It's been some time, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the main part last week with a double in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's position at the upcoming World Cup. The star stepping on center stage yet again. Liverpool must have him to remain there.

Causes for Inconsistent Showings

There exist many reasons why inconsistent, unimpressive showings have been the common thread running through Liverpool's beginning to their title defence, if they achieved a winning streak or, prior to the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from numerous new signings, the coach's quest for his top team, the late forward's passing; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his atypically subdued beginning to the season.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's showpiece occasion could provide the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. Salah will present the manager with an additional unexpected problem, though, should he remain lost in the turmoil indefinitely.

Latest Form

The team's head coach likely seen the contrast of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti in midweek. Drilled first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the front post, his eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run originated from an very similar spot to his expensive error against Chelsea before the international break.

Had that attempt been scored moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first superb assist in the Premier League. Analyses into Salah's decline and the team's infrequent losing streak might as well have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait continues while Slot broods over a third consecutive loss on the road, a couple due to last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not mask larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was instrumental in driving Liverpool towards a historic 20th championship the prior campaign while speculation over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. We extracted almost the maximum out of Mo last term,” said the manager when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the terms of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the corresponding point last season, from a combined eight in the opening seven fixtures of 2024-25 to four (two goals and two assists) this season. His number of attempts has decreased from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have dropped from fifteen to 5, causing a significant decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, figures show.

A single trait that has held more steady is Salah's playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, compared with fourteen at the same stage of the previous season, his numbers remain among the finest in the continent and up in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Output

Indicators of team performance will worry the coach further. Salah had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven league games of the prior campaign. This season's total is 39. The stats are symptomatic of the squad's problems overall. Just United and the Gunners have tried more shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from within the goal area is the lowest in the top flight, their percentage from long range among the greatest. The club's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mostly scored from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen 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 most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not punishing foes in the way the coach planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were brought on board this summer, though the team are the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a team of supreme individual quality, capable of starting and reeling in any opponent for the championship, but synergy is absent. That cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only senior player to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and the defender laboring. But he is at the heart of the turmoil that has of late enveloped Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with his sadness over the death of Jota obvious on that heartfelt season opener against the Cherries. The impact of his tragedy can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

Previously, he