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It has been a while, but the Egyptian star was back assuming the lead part last week with a brace in Morocco that secured Egypt's place at the global tournament. The key player stepping on center stage once more. The Merseyside club need him to remain there.

Factors for Variable Performances

There exist many reasons why variable, unconvincing performances have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they achieved seven straight victories or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, the coach's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's loss; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his unusually quiet opening to the campaign.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 games for the club against United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not triumphed at their archrivals for over nine years. Salah will pose the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, yet, if he continue caught in the upheaval indefinitely.

Recent Form

The team's head coach likely noticed the paradox of the player's initial score against Djibouti recently. Struck immediately with the outside of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an nearly the same location to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been scored moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating the new signing's maiden sublime assist in the English top flight. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent defeat streak might as well have been postponed. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while the coach fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, two caused by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as he repeated on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Last Season's Influence

The forward was key in driving Liverpool towards a tying 20th crown last season while speculation over his career persisted in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the maximum out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a clear decline on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and two assists) this term. His tally of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from 15 to five, leading to a sharp drop in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, compared with fourteen at the same stage of last term, his figures are among the best in the continent and up in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Measures of collective performance will worry Slot additionally. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy penalty area in the opening seven league games of the previous term. This season's count is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's problems overall. Only United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of shots from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the top flight, their ratio from distance among the top. The club's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “This season we have not seen as many moments of genius and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action produces the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't beating foes in the manner the coach envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, although Liverpool stay the league's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in less games than any coach in the club's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a team of supreme skill, capable of starting and catching any rival for the title, but synergy is absent. This can not be blamed on the new signings alone.

Personal and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole senior member to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and the defender laboring. But he ends up at the heart of the disruption that has recently engulfed Liverpool. That extends to a individual level, with his sorrow over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's tragedy can neither be measured nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he