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It has been a period, but Liverpool's forward reappeared taking on the main part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's place at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight once more. The Reds must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

We see many causes why inconsistent, lackluster showings have been the frequent pattern defining the team's opening to their championship defense, if they achieved a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' visit to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from multiple offseason moves, the coach's search for his best XI, the late forward's passing; Salah has felt the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued start to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the source of a impressive 16 scores in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will present Slot with another unexpected problem, though, should he continue caught in the upheaval much longer.

Current Form

Liverpool's boss likely seen the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck directly with the exterior of his left foot into the front post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualifying effort was from an almost identical position to his costly miss in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

If that right-foot effort been finished moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent pass in the league. Discussions into his decline and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's wait continues while the coach stews over a third loss on the road, a couple caused by last-minute winners and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship last season while uncertainty over his future lingered in the background. We extracted almost the best out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Decrease

His production in terms of scores and setups is lower half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) this season. The count of attempts has fallen from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from 15 to 5, contributing to a sharp drop in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's creativity. With twelve chances created, versus fourteen at the same stage of last campaign, his stats are among the finest in Europe and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Collective Display

Indicators of team performance will trouble the coach additionally. He had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the opening seven fixtures of the prior campaign. This term's count is 39. The stats are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Just United and Arsenal have tried more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but the team's proportion of shots from within the goal area is the poorest in the division, their ratio from distance among the top. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is also 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,” the manager said. “This season we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action generates the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting opponents in the manner Slot imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were brought on board recently, though Liverpool are the division's third-best scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for him to attain the century of points in fewer games than any boss in the club's past (46). Think what his offense will do when it clicks. The side remain a team of exceptional talent, equipped to sparking and catching any rival for the championship, but cohesion is absent. That can not be blamed on the summer recruits only.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole key player to suffer a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he finds himself at the center of the disruption that has lately affected the club. This applies to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the passing of Jota evident on that poignant season opener against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's death can neither be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he