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It has been a period, but the Egyptian star returned taking on the starring role in recent days with two goals in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's position at the 2026 World Cup. The main man stepping on the limelight yet again. Liverpool require him to stay there.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

There exist numerous reasons why unsteady, lackluster showings have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's start to their title defence, whether they recorded seven straight victories or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from numerous offseason moves, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his unusually quiet beginning to the season.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's big match could offer the spark for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for almost a decade. The attacker will present Slot with another unforeseen dilemma, however, if he remain caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Latest Form

Liverpool's boss must have recognized the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti in midweek. Struck directly with the outside of his stronger foot into the near post, his eighth score of the national team's qualification run came from an very similar spot to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden superb assist in the league. Analyses into Salah's drop and the team's rare losing run might as well have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's wait continues while Slot broods over a third defeat away, a couple inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown last season while speculation over his long-term plans persisted in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decline on an individual and collective level since. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Performance Drop

His production in terms of scores and assists is down 50% on the same point the previous term, from a total eight in the first seven matches of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while shots on target have declined from 15 to 5, leading to a sharp decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's chance creation. With twelve chances created, versus 14 at the comparable period of last term, his figures remain among the finest in Europe and comparable in the group of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Performance

Measures of team display will worry Slot more. He had seventy-six touches in the opposition box in the initial seven fixtures of last season. This season's total is thirty-nine. The stats are symptomatic of the team's problems in general. Only United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of attempts from inside the six-yard area is the poorest in the top flight, their percentage from long range among the top. The club's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the weakest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a set piece,” the manager said. “This season we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play creates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not beating foes in the manner the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were signed this summer, although the team are the division's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for him to attain the century of points in fewer games than any manager in the club's past (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it finally gels. The side are still a squad of supreme talent, able to sparking and catching any opponent for the title, but synergy is lacking. That can not be pinned on the summer recruits only.

Individual and Collective Issues

The player is not the only key player to experience a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the core of the upheaval that has recently engulfed the club. This goes to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the loss of Jota obvious on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's loss can not be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

Previously, he