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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward returned assuming the starring role last week with two goals in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's place at the upcoming World Cup. The main man claiming the limelight once more. The Merseyside club need him to keep that position.

Reasons for Inconsistent Displays

There are several causes why unsteady, unconvincing showings have been the frequent pattern defining the team's opening to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet beginning to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could provide the spark for the origin of a record 16 scores in 17 outings for Liverpool against United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will create the manager with an additional surprise issue, however, if he remain lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's boss likely seen the contrast of the player's initial score against the opponent in midweek. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualifying effort came from an very similar position to his costly miss versus Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first superb assist in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's decline and Liverpool's unusual losing run might also have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while Slot stews over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple due to last-minute winners and one the result of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

Salah was instrumental in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown the previous term while doubt over his career persisted in the background. “We brought almost the maximum out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a clear decrease on an individual and collective level since. The team, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

His output in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from fifteen to five, leading to a significant drop in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With 12 key passes, versus fourteen at the comparable period of the previous season, his numbers stay among the best in Europe and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Output

Measures of collective output will worry Slot additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven fixtures of the previous term. This term's total is 39. The numbers are indicative of the team's problems overall. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have taken a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of shots from inside the six-yard area is the poorest in the division, their share from long range among the highest. Liverpool's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we primarily scored from a moment of magic from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Now we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from general play produces the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not hurting rivals in the fashion the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were signed this summer, although Liverpool remain the division's third-best scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the century of points in fewer games than any boss in Liverpool's past (46). Think what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side remain a team of exceptional talent, able to sparking and chasing any rival for the title, but synergy is lacking. This can not be blamed on the summer recruits only.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the sole established member to suffer a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the core of the turmoil that has recently affected Liverpool. That extends to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt first game against the Cherries. The impact of his death can neither be quantified nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he