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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward reappeared playing the lead part last week with a double in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's place at the 2026 World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight once more. The Merseyside club require him to keep that position.

Factors for Inconsistent Performances

There are several causes why variable, unimpressive showings have been the common thread running through the team's opening to their league defense, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The turmoil from multiple summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's passing; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key opening to the season.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the spark for the source of a record 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for almost a decade. The attacker will pose Slot with a further surprise issue, though, should he remain lost in the turmoil for an extended period.

Current Performance

The team's manager must have seen the contrast of Salah's opening strike against the opponent in midweek. Struck first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the near post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's qualification run originated from an very similar position to his costly miss versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been scored shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden superb pass in the league. Analyses into his dip and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might as well have been postponed. Instead, Wirtz's search goes on while Slot broods over a third loss on the road, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in driving the side towards a tying 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his future lingered in the background. We achieved nearly the best out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a clear decline on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decline

His production in terms of scores and assists is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a total eight in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. His number of shots has decreased from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from fifteen to five, causing a steep decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

A single trait that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With 12 chances created, compared with 14 at the equivalent point of the previous season, his numbers stay among the finest in Europe and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Team Output

Measures of collective performance will trouble the coach additionally. Salah had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the first seven fixtures of last season. This season's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are indicative of the squad's problems overall. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than them this season, but the team's percentage of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the top flight, their percentage from distance among the greatest. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from open play generates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They aren't beating foes in the way Slot envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, while Liverpool stay the league's third-best scorers. A tie on the weekend would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in fewer games than any manager in the club's past (forty-six). Consider what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme talent, capable of starting and chasing any rival for the title, but synergy is lacking. That cannot be pinned on the summer recruits alone.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only established member to experience a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to fitness and the defender toiling. But he ends up at the center of the turmoil that has recently enveloped the club. This applies to a individual level, with his grief over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that heartfelt season opener against the Cherries. The impact of his death can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he