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It's been some time, but the Egyptian star returned taking on the lead part last week with a brace in Casablanca that sealed the Egyptian team's position at the 2026 World Cup. The star taking the limelight another time. The Reds need him to keep that position.

Factors for Inconsistent Displays

There are numerous reasons why variable, unconvincing displays have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's beginning to their title defence, whether they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from so many summer changes, the coach's hunt for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has endured the impact of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the term.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could provide the spark for the source of a record 16 strikes in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose the manager with an additional unexpected problem, though, should he stay lost in the turmoil much longer.

Latest Form

The team's boss likely seen the irony of the player's initial score against the opponent recently. Struck immediately with the exterior of his left foot into the front post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar spot to his costly miss against Chelsea before the national team pause.

Had that right-foot effort been scored shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first sublime setup in the Premier League. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might as well have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's search goes on while the coach stews over a third loss on the road, a couple due to dying-minute strikes and another the result of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was instrumental in pushing Liverpool towards a tying 20th league title last season while speculation over his future rumbled in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the maximum out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his main attacker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a noticeable drop-off on an individual and team level since. The team, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Statistical Drop

His output in terms of scores and setups is down 50% on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a total eight in the opening seven matches of 2024-25 to four (two goals and two assists) this term. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to twelve while shots on target have declined from 15 to five, contributing to a significant drop in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, statistics show.

A single trait that has held more steady is Salah's playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the comparable period of last campaign, his stats are among the best in Europe and up in the group of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years each.

Team Display

Measures of collective display will trouble the coach more. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the first seven fixtures of last season. This term's tally is 39. The stats are reflective of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard area is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from distance among the top. Liverpool's percentage of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from a special moment from one of our front three and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Now we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the team that from open play generates the most xG chances.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not punishing rivals in the way the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were signed in the offseason, although Liverpool are the league's equal third-top scorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to attain the century of points in less games than any manager in Liverpool's past (46). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of supreme individual quality, capable of starting and chasing any opponent for the title, but cohesion is missing. That can not be attributed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Personal and Collective Problems

The player is not the only established member to suffer a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and the defender toiling. But he finds himself at the heart of the upheaval that has of late affected the club. That extends to a personal level, with his sorrow over the passing of Diogo Jota clear on that poignant first game against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's loss can not be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Changes

Last season, he