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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the main part in recent days with a brace in Casablanca that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the global tournament. The key player claiming center stage yet again. The Reds need him to stay there.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

There are numerous causes why variable, unimpressive showings have been the common thread running through the team's opening to their title defence, if they recorded seven straight victories or, prior to Manchester United's visit to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The turmoil from multiple new signings, the coach's hunt for his top team, the late forward's passing; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his atypically quiet opening to the campaign.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could offer the spark for the cause of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will present the manager with an additional unexpected problem, though, should he continue lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Recent Form

Liverpool's boss likely noticed the contrast of Salah's initial score against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled directly with the outside of his left foot inside the close post, his eighth score of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an very similar location to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the national team pause.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be celebrating the new signing's first superb pass in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might also have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while Slot broods over a third consecutive loss on the road, a couple due to late goals and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as he repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

Salah was crucial in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th league title the prior campaign while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the background. We achieved almost the best out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in April. There has been a obvious decrease on an personal and team level since. The lineup, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

His output in terms of scores and setups is down half on the corresponding stage last season, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. The count of shots has decreased from 22 to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to 5, contributing to a steep decline in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With 12 key passes, compared with fourteen at the equivalent point of the previous season, his figures are among the top in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Output

Measures of collective display will concern Slot further. He had seventy-six touches in the opposition box in the first seven league games of the prior campaign. This season's total is thirty-nine. The numbers are indicative of the team's problems in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have taken a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the smallest in the Premier League, their percentage from long range among the greatest. The club's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is as well among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Now we have not seen as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play creates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not punishing rivals in the fashion Slot planned when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board recently, although Liverpool are the division's third-best goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be sufficient for him to reach the 100-point total in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (46). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of exceptional talent, equipped to starting and reeling in any rival for the title, but synergy is lacking. That cannot be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Team Challenges

Salah is not the only senior player to experience a dip, with the midfielder returning to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the core of the turmoil that has lately enveloped Liverpool. That applies to a personal level, with his sorrow over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional opening night against the Cherries. The impact of his tragedy can neither be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Changes

Last season, he