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It's been some time, but the Egyptian star returned taking on the main part last week with a double in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's position at the global tournament. The star claiming the spotlight yet again. The Merseyside club need him to stay there.

Causes for Inconsistent Performances

There exist several factors why unsteady, lackluster displays have been the frequent pattern running through Liverpool's start to their title defence, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on the weekend, three losses in a row. The turmoil from so many new signings, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's loss; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued opening to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the catalyst for the source of a impressive 16 scores in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for almost a decade. Salah will pose the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, though, if he stay caught in the disruption much longer.

Recent Form

Liverpool's head coach must have seen the contrast of the player's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Drilled first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an very similar position to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the international break.

If that shot with his right been finished shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating the new signing's first sublime setup in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's dip and Liverpool's infrequent defeat streak might also have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's search continues while Slot broods over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple inflicted by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Impact

Salah was key in pushing Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his career rumbled in the backdrop. “We brought almost the utmost out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decrease on an individual and collective level since. The team, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is lower 50% on the same point the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the initial seven league games of last season to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of shots has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to five, causing a sharp decline in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A single trait that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, against fourteen at the equivalent point of the previous season, his stats are among the top in Europe and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Output

Measures of team display will worry the coach further. Salah had seventy-six touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of the prior campaign. This season's count is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but the team's rate of shots from inside the goal area is the poorest in the top flight, their percentage from distance among the greatest. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the later stage it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “This season we lack as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from live action creates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't punishing opponents in the manner the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board in the offseason, though the team remain the league's equal third-top goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to reach the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in the club's history (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. The side remain a team of outstanding individual quality, equipped to sparking and chasing any rival for the championship, but cohesion is missing. This cannot be pinned on the new signings by themselves.

Individual and Team Issues

Salah is not the sole established player to suffer a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he is at the core of the upheaval that has of late affected Liverpool. This applies to a personal level, with his sadness over the loss of Jota clear on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The influence of Jota's tragedy can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he