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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward was back assuming the lead part last week with a double in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on the limelight once more. The Merseyside club need him to remain there.

Factors for Inconsistent Performances

We see several reasons why variable, lackluster performances have been the frequent pattern defining the team's beginning to their title defence, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, a losing run. The upheaval from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's loss; the winger has experienced the impact of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the term.

The Weekend's Key Fixture

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the spark for the cause of a record 16 strikes in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for more than nine years. Salah will create Slot with another unforeseen dilemma, though, should he remain caught in the disruption much longer.

Recent Performance

The team's boss likely noticed the irony of the player's initial score against Djibouti recently. Swept first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the near post, his eighth strike of the national team's qualifying effort came from an very similar position to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been scored 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 Salah's decline and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's wait continues while Slot stews over a third away defeat, a couple due to dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Influence

The forward was instrumental in pushing Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th crown the prior campaign while doubt over his future lingered in the background. We achieved almost the best out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a noticeable drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and assists is reduced half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a total 8 in the first seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this season. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have declined from 15 to 5, contributing to a sharp decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, figures show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With twelve chances created, against 14 at the equivalent point of the previous season, his figures are among the best in the continent and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Performance

Metrics of collective performance will concern Slot more. Salah had seventy-six touches in the enemy penalty area in the initial seven matches of the prior campaign. This season's count is 39. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's problems overall. Only United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their share from outside the area among the highest. The club's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “Now we lack as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the team that from general play creates the most quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not punishing rivals in the way Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired recently, although the team stay the league's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to reach the century of points in less games than any coach in the club's past (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a team of exceptional individual quality, able to starting and catching any opponent for the championship, but unity is missing. That cannot be pinned on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole established player to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the core of the disruption that has of late engulfed Liverpool. This extends to a personal level, with his grief over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt first game against the Cherries. The influence of his tragedy can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he