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It's been some time, but Liverpool's forward reappeared playing the lead part recently with a brace in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on the spotlight yet again. Liverpool must have him to keep that position.

Reasons for Inconsistent Performances

There exist numerous causes why unsteady, unimpressive displays have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, if they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, a losing run. The turmoil from numerous summer changes, the coach's quest for his ideal lineup, the late forward's loss; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his unusually subdued start to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the spark for the source of a record 16 strikes in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th visit to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with a further surprise issue, yet, should he continue caught in the disruption indefinitely.

Current Form

Liverpool's head coach likely noticed the irony of the player's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Swept immediately with the outside of his left foot into the near post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run originated from an nearly the same position to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first excellent pass in the Premier League. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search goes on while the coach stews over a third defeat away, a couple inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was crucial in pushing Liverpool towards a tying 20th league title last season while doubt over his future persisted in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the maximum out of Salah that campaign,” said Slot when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

His contribution in terms of goals and assists is lower 50% on the same stage the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the first seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have declined from fifteen to 5, contributing to a sharp drop in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is his creativity. With 12 key passes, versus 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his figures are among the top in Europe and up in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years each.

Collective Output

Indicators of collective performance will concern the coach further. Salah had seventy-six touches in the enemy penalty area in the opening seven league games of the previous term. This season's total is 39. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties overall. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them now, but the team's proportion of attempts from within the goal area is the poorest in the division, their ratio from long range among the greatest. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is as well among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “This season we lack as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the side that from live action generates the highest xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not punishing rivals in the manner Slot planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed in the offseason, though Liverpool are the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his attack will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of outstanding individual quality, equipped to starting and reeling in any foe for the title, but synergy is absent. That cannot be pinned on the summer recruits only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only senior member to experience a decline, with the midfielder regaining to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the core of the upheaval that has of late enveloped the club. This goes to a individual level, with Salah's sorrow over the passing of Diogo Jota clear on that emotional first game against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's tragedy can not be measured nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

Previously, he