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It has been a period, but the Egyptian star returned playing the lead part in recent days with two goals in Casablanca that sealed Egypt's spot at the global tournament. The star taking the spotlight another time. The Reds need him to remain there.

Reasons for Variable Showings

There are numerous causes why variable, lackluster showings have been the common thread running through the team's start to their league defense, if they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, the coach's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has experienced the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued start to the term.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's key fixture could offer the spark for the source of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their archrivals for over nine years. Salah will create the manager with an additional unforeseen dilemma, though, should he continue lost in the turmoil much longer.

Current Form

Liverpool's head coach likely noticed the paradox of Salah's first goal against Djibouti in midweek. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's qualifying effort came from an very similar location to his expensive error versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that right-foot effort been converted moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's first sublime assist in the league. Inquests into his dip and Liverpool's rare losing streak might as well have been postponed. Rather, Wirtz's search persists while Slot broods over a third defeat away, two due to last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship last season while speculation over his future persisted in the backdrop. We extracted nearly the best out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an individual and team level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Performance Decrease

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a total eight in the first seven league games of last season to four (two goals and two assists) this season. His number of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have fallen from fifteen to 5, contributing to a steep decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With twelve key passes, compared with 14 at the comparable period of the previous season, his figures remain among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Team Display

Metrics of collective performance will trouble Slot more. He had 76 touches in the enemy box in the initial seven matches of the prior campaign. This term's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but the team's rate of shots from inside the six-yard box is the poorest in the division, their ratio from long range among the top. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly scored from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “This season we have not seen as numerous acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play creates the most quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not punishing foes in the fashion the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired this summer, while Liverpool remain the league's equal third-top scorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for him to achieve the century of points in less games than any manager in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a team of supreme skill, equipped to igniting and reeling in any foe for the championship, but unity is missing. This can not be attributed on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Personal and Collective Problems

The player is not the only senior player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he ends up at the heart of the upheaval that has lately enveloped the club. That applies to a individual level, with his grief over the death of Diogo Jota clear on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's death can not be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he