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It's been a while, but the Egyptian star reappeared playing the lead part last week with two goals in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The star taking center stage another time. The Merseyside club must have him to stay there.

Causes for Inconsistent Performances

There exist many causes why unsteady, unimpressive performances have been the recurring theme defining the team's start to their championship defense, if they achieved seven straight victories or, before Manchester United's trip to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his best XI, the late forward's passing; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued opening to the term.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's key fixture could deliver the impetus for the cause of a record 16 strikes in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for over nine years. Salah will present Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, though, should he continue lost in the upheaval much longer.

Latest Form

Liverpool's head coach must have recognized the irony of Salah's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Drilled directly with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the front post, his eighth strike of the national team's qualifying effort was from an nearly the same position to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that shot with his right been scored shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent setup in the English top flight. Inquests into his drop and the team's unusual defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's search continues while Slot broods over a third away defeat, two due to late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Last Season's Impact

Salah was instrumental in pushing the side towards a historic 20th championship last season while uncertainty over his long-term plans rumbled in the background. We extracted nearly the maximum out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a noticeable decrease on an individual and collective level since. The team, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Statistical Decrease

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined 8 in the first seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. His tally of attempts has fallen from twenty-two to twelve while efforts on goal have dropped from 15 to five, causing a significant drop in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With twelve opportunities made, versus 14 at the comparable period of last campaign, his figures are among the top in the continent and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Performance

Indicators of team output will concern Slot additionally. He had 76 touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven fixtures of the previous term. This term's total is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's difficulties in general. Only United and Arsenal have taken more attempts on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the lowest in the top flight, their ratio from outside the area among the top. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we have not seen as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from general play produces the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing foes in the fashion Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, although Liverpool are the division's third-best scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. The side remain a team of outstanding individual quality, capable of igniting and catching any opponent for the championship, but synergy is absent. This cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Collective Problems

The player is not the sole key member to experience a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the heart of the upheaval that has recently enveloped the club. That extends to a individual level, with his sorrow over the loss of Jota evident on that emotional season opener against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's tragedy can not be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

Last season, he