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It has been some time, but Mohamed Salah 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 limelight another time. Liverpool must have him to remain there.

Factors for Inconsistent Showings

There exist numerous reasons why inconsistent, unimpressive performances have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, whether they achieved seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, the late forward's loss; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued start to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to the stadium and have not won at their archrivals for over nine years. The attacker will create Slot with another surprise issue, though, if he continue lost in the turmoil much longer.

Latest Form

Liverpool's head coach must have noticed the irony of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Swept immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, his eighth strike of the national team's qualifying effort originated from an very similar position to his costly miss versus Chelsea prior to the international break.

If that shot with his right been converted moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent setup in the English top flight. Inquests into his dip and the team's rare defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's wait continues while the coach broods over a third consecutive defeat away, two inflicted by late goals and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while uncertainty over his future lingered in the background. We achieved almost the utmost out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and setups is reduced half on the corresponding stage last season, from a combined eight in the first seven fixtures of 2024-25 to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this season. The count of shots has fallen from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have dropped from fifteen to five, causing a sharp fall in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is his creativity. With 12 chances created, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last term, his stats are among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years each.

Collective Performance

Measures of collective performance will trouble the coach additionally. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven league games of the prior campaign. This term's tally is thirty-nine. These figures are symptomatic of the squad's difficulties overall. Only United and the Gunners have attempted a greater number of shots on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the six-yard area is the lowest in the top flight, their share from long range among the highest. Liverpool's rate of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mostly found the net from a special moment from an attacker and in the later stage it was mostly from a set piece,” the manager said. “This season we haven’t had as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play generates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't beating rivals in the way Slot envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were signed recently, although the team are the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for him to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any boss in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. The side are still a squad of outstanding talent, able to sparking and catching any rival for the title, but synergy is lacking. This can not be pinned on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Personal and Collective Problems

The player is not the only senior member to suffer a decline, with the midfielder returning to match sharpness and the defender struggling. But he ends up at the center of the turmoil that has recently enveloped Liverpool. This extends to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The influence of his loss can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he