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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah reappeared assuming the main part last week with two goals in Casablanca that confirmed the Egyptian team's position at the 2026 World Cup. The main man claiming center stage another time. Liverpool must have him to remain there.

Reasons for Variable Performances

There exist several causes why unsteady, lackluster displays have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's start to their championship defense, if they recorded a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' visit to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The disruption from so many summer changes, the coach's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key start to the term.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the catalyst for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will present Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, yet, if he continue caught in the turmoil indefinitely.

Recent Form

The team's head coach likely recognized the irony of the player's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Drilled immediately with the outside of his left foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth strike of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an nearly the same position to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been finished moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent assist in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and the team's unusual losing streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search goes on while the coach broods over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple due to last-minute winners and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on recently, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in pushing the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown the previous term while speculation over his career rumbled in the background. “We brought nearly the best out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a noticeable drop-off on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the terms of a contract, are responsible.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and assists is down half on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a total eight in the opening seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His number of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while efforts on goal have fallen from 15 to 5, leading to a sharp decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, figures show.

One attribute that has held more steady is Salah's creativity. With twelve key passes, compared with 14 at the equivalent point of last campaign, his stats remain among the top in Europe and comparable in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Display

Measures of collective output will trouble the coach further. He had seventy-six contacts in the enemy penalty area in the first seven matches of the previous term. This season's total is thirty-nine. The stats are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard box is the smallest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mostly found the net from a special moment from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action generates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating foes in the way the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, though the team are the division's third-best goalscorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for Slot to attain the century of points in fewer games than any coach in the club's past (forty-six). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a team of supreme individual quality, capable of starting and catching any opponent for the championship, but unity is absent. That cannot be blamed on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Collective Issues

The player is not the only senior player to experience a dip, with the midfielder returning to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the core of the disruption that has recently affected the club. That extends to a personal level, with Salah's sorrow over the loss of Jota evident on that emotional season opener against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's tragedy can neither be quantified nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

Previously, he