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It's been some time, but Liverpool's forward was back playing the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's spot at the global tournament. The main man stepping on the spotlight yet again. Liverpool must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Displays

There are numerous causes why variable, lackluster showings have been the common thread running through the team's start to their title defence, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from multiple summer changes, the coach's quest for his ideal lineup, the late forward's passing; the winger has endured the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued opening to the campaign.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's key fixture could offer the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will present Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, if he continue caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Recent Performance

Liverpool's boss likely noticed the paradox of the player's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Drilled immediately with the outside of his left foot into the front post, his eighth goal of the national team's qualifying effort came from an very similar position to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be celebrating the new signing's first superb setup in the league. Analyses into his dip and Liverpool's unusual defeat streak might also have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's wait persists while the coach broods over a third defeat away, two inflicted by late goals and one the result of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as he emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

Salah was instrumental in driving the side towards a historic 20th crown last season while uncertainty over his career rumbled in the background. We achieved nearly the utmost out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a clear decline on an personal and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Statistical Decrease

His contribution in terms of scores and assists is down half on the same stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the first seven fixtures of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has dropped from 22 to twelve while shots on target have fallen from fifteen to 5, causing a sharp decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the comparable period of last campaign, his stats remain among the finest in the continent and up in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Collective Display

Indicators of team performance will worry Slot additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the opening seven league games of last season. This season's count is 39. The numbers are indicative of the team's issues as a whole. Only United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but the team's proportion of attempts from within the goal area is the poorest in the division, their percentage from long range among the top. Liverpool's percentage of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the weakest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mainly scored from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from general play creates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting foes in the fashion the coach envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board recently, though the team remain the league's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for him to reach the century of points in less games than any coach in Liverpool's history (46). Consider what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a team of exceptional talent, able to igniting and reeling in any rival for the title, but unity is missing. This can not be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Team Issues

Salah is not the sole key player to suffer a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to match sharpness and the defender laboring. But he finds himself at the core of the disruption that has lately engulfed Liverpool. That extends to a personal level, with his grief over the death of Diogo Jota obvious on that heartfelt opening night against Bournemouth. The influence of his loss can not be measured nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he