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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward was back playing the main part recently with a double in Casablanca that secured Egypt's place at the 2026 World Cup. The main man taking center stage another time. Liverpool must have him to stay there.

Causes for Unsteady Showings

We see several reasons why variable, lackluster showings have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, if they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's loss; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his unusually low-key start to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 scores in 17 games for the club against United, who are paying their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for almost a decade. Salah will pose Slot with an additional unexpected problem, yet, if he stay caught in the disruption much longer.

Recent Display

Liverpool's manager likely recognized the irony of the player's initial score against the opponent recently. Swept first time with the outside of his left foot into the near post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's qualification run came from an very similar location to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that shot with his right been finished moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be celebrating the new signing's maiden superb pass in the Premier League. Discussions into Salah's drop and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might as well have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's wait persists while Slot stews over a third consecutive defeat away, two inflicted by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was instrumental in pushing the side towards a tying 20th league title the previous term while speculation over his career persisted in the backdrop. We extracted nearly the maximum out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a obvious decrease on an individual and team level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

His production in terms of scores and setups is down 50% on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the first seven league games of last season to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His tally of shots has fallen from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to five, contributing to a steep drop in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has held more steady is Salah's playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers stay among the top in Europe and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Team Performance

Indicators of team output will trouble the coach more. He had seventy-six touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of the prior campaign. This term's total is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's issues overall. Just United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from within the six-yard box is the lowest in the division, their share from long range among the highest. Liverpool's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly scored from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Currently we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the side that from live action creates the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting opponents in the way the coach planned when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board in the offseason, though the team are the league's third-best goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for him to achieve the 100-point mark in less games than any boss in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of supreme skill, capable of starting and reeling in any foe for the championship, but cohesion is lacking. That cannot be attributed on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Collective Issues

Salah is not the only established player to suffer a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the center of the upheaval that has recently enveloped the club. That extends to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the passing of Diogo Jota obvious on that emotional season opener against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's tragedy can neither be measured nor ignored.

Tactical Adjustments

Previously, he