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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward was back playing the starring role in recent days with a brace in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's place at the 2026 World Cup. The key player taking the spotlight once more. Liverpool must have him to remain there.

Reasons for Unsteady Showings

There are many reasons why unsteady, unconvincing showings have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's start to their league defense, if they achieved a winning streak or, before Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on the weekend, a losing run. The turmoil from so many summer changes, the coach's search for his top team, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his atypically low-key start to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for almost a decade. Salah will present Slot with an additional unexpected problem, however, should he stay lost in the disruption much longer.

Current Display

Liverpool's boss likely noticed the irony of the player's initial score against the opponent in midweek. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same position to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been converted moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime assist in the English top flight. Inquests into his decline and the team's rare losing streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while the coach stews over a third consecutive away defeat, two caused by last-minute winners and another the result of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Last Season's Influence

Salah was key in pushing the side towards a historic 20th league title last season while doubt over his career persisted in the background. We achieved almost the utmost out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a noticeable drop-off on an personal and collective level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

His contribution in terms of goals and assists is reduced 50% on the same point the previous term, from a total 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this season. The count of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from fifteen to 5, leading to a significant drop in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A single trait that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With 12 key passes, against fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers are among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Team Performance

Measures of team performance will concern Slot more. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition box in the opening seven fixtures of the previous term. This season's total is 39. The stats are indicative of the team's problems as a whole. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard area is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mostly scored from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we have not seen as numerous moments of genius and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the team that from general play produces the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing rivals in the manner Slot imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, though the team are the league's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be sufficient for him to reach the century of points in less games than any manager in the club's past (forty-six). Consider what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of exceptional individual quality, equipped to starting and reeling in any opponent for the title, but unity is absent. This cannot be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Team Problems

Salah is not the only senior player to suffer a decline, with the midfielder regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has lately affected the club. That extends to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the death of Jota evident on that heartfelt season opener against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's tragedy can not be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Adjustments

Last season, he