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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the main part in recent days with a double in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's position at the 2026 World Cup. The star taking center stage yet again. The Reds require him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Performances

There are numerous causes why variable, unconvincing displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing the team's start to their title defence, if they produced a winning streak or, prior to the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on the weekend, a losing run. The upheaval from multiple new signings, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his atypically subdued start to the term.

Sunday's Big Match

The weekend's big match could offer the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will present the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, should he stay caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Performance

The team's manager likely noticed the irony of Salah's initial score against Djibouti recently. Swept first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an nearly the same location to his costly miss versus Chelsea prior to the international break.

If that attempt been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating Florian Wirtz's first superb assist in the Premier League. Inquests into Salah's decline and the team's infrequent losing run might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while the coach broods over a third consecutive away defeat, two due to dying-minute strikes and another the result of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a tying 20th crown the prior campaign while speculation over his future lingered in the background. We extracted almost the best out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a obvious decline on an individual and collective level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and assists is down half on the corresponding point the previous term, from a combined 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His number of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have declined from 15 to 5, causing a steep drop in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's creativity. With 12 opportunities made, compared with 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his figures are among the best in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Performance

Indicators of team output will trouble the coach more. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the initial seven matches of the previous term. This term's count is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the team's problems overall. Just United and Arsenal have tried more shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but the team's proportion of shots from inside the six-yard box is the smallest in the Premier League, their ratio from distance among the top. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action produces the most quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating opponents in the fashion the coach envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, although the team stay the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his attack will do when it clicks. The side remain a squad of supreme talent, capable of starting and reeling in any rival for the title, but unity is absent. This can not be attributed on the summer recruits alone.

Personal and Team Challenges

The player is not the sole senior member to suffer a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he finds himself at the core of the turmoil that has recently engulfed the club. This applies to a individual level, with his sadness over the death of Jota obvious on that poignant opening night against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's loss can neither be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

In the prior campaign, he