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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward was back taking on the starring role in recent days with a brace in Morocco that sealed Egypt's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The star stepping on center stage another time. The Merseyside club must have him to remain there.

Causes for Inconsistent Performances

There are numerous reasons why variable, lackluster displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing the team's beginning to their title defence, whether they achieved a winning streak or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, the coach's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's passing; the winger has endured the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the campaign.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the impetus for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not triumphed at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, though, should he stay lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Latest Form

Liverpool's head coach must have recognized the paradox of the player's opening strike against the opponent in midweek. Drilled first time with the exterior of his left foot inside the front post, his eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same location to his costly miss in the Chelsea match before the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first excellent setup in the league. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's unusual defeat streak might also have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's wait continues while the coach broods over a third consecutive loss on the road, two caused by last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as Slot emphasized on recently, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Last Season's Impact

Salah was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown the previous term while uncertainty over his career lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the best out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decrease on an individual and team level from then. The team, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

His contribution in terms of goals and setups is down half on the same point the previous term, from a total eight in the opening seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have declined from 15 to five, leading to a sharp drop in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his chance creation. With twelve opportunities made, versus fourteen at the equivalent point of last term, his stats remain among the finest in the continent and comparable in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Output

Metrics of team performance will concern the coach further. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the opening seven league games of the previous term. This season's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the squad's issues overall. Just United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard box is the smallest in the top flight, their ratio from outside the area among the greatest. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Now we lack as many moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from general play creates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not punishing rivals in the fashion the coach planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, although the team remain the league's third-best goalscorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in less games than any boss in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it does settle. Liverpool are still a team of outstanding skill, equipped to starting and chasing any rival for the championship, but cohesion is absent. This can not be attributed on the new signings alone.

Individual and Team Challenges

The player is not the only key member to experience a decline, with the midfielder returning to form and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he ends up at the heart of the disruption that has recently enveloped the club. That goes to a personal level, with his grief over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that emotional season opener against the Cherries. The effect of his tragedy can neither be quantified nor dismissed.

Strategic Changes

Previously, he