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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the lead part recently with a double in Morocco that secured Egypt's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The main man stepping on the spotlight another time. Liverpool must have him to stay there.

Causes for Variable Showings

There exist several factors why variable, unconvincing performances have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's beginning to their league defense, if they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The turmoil from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has experienced the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key start to the campaign.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's big match could offer the impetus for the source of a impressive 16 goals in 17 games for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will present the manager with another surprise issue, yet, should he stay lost in the disruption much longer.

Recent Performance

The team's head coach must have noticed the contrast of the player's opening strike against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept directly with the exterior of his stronger foot into the close post, his eighth strike of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same location to his expensive error against Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that right-foot effort been scored shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising the new signing's maiden excellent setup in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's dip and the team's rare losing run might as well have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's search continues while Slot fumes over a third loss on the road, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was key in pushing Liverpool towards a tying 20th championship the previous term while speculation over his career persisted in the backdrop. We extracted nearly the best out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an personal and team level since. The lineup, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decrease

His production in terms of goals and setups is down half on the same point last season, from a total eight in the initial seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of shots has fallen from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have fallen from 15 to 5, causing a sharp fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is his chance creation. With twelve opportunities made, versus 14 at the same stage of last campaign, his stats remain among the finest in Europe and comparable in the group of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years each.

Collective Output

Measures of collective performance will worry the coach further. He had 76 touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. This season's total is thirty-nine. These figures are indicative of the squad's issues overall. Only United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard area is the smallest in the Premier League, their percentage from outside the area among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “This season we haven’t had as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action generates the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not punishing foes in the way Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board this summer, while Liverpool remain the division's equal third-top scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the century of points in less games than any manager in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his offense will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of supreme talent, able to starting and chasing any rival for the title, but synergy is absent. This can not be pinned on the summer recruits only.

Personal and Collective Issues

Salah is not the sole senior player to experience a drop-off, with the midfielder returning to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has lately engulfed the club. This extends to a personal level, with his grief over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional first game against the Cherries. The influence of his loss can neither be quantified nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he