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It's been some time, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the lead part last week with a brace in Casablanca that secured Egypt's place at the 2026 World Cup. The star stepping on the spotlight yet again. Liverpool need him to remain there.

Reasons for Unsteady Showings

There exist numerous causes why variable, lackluster showings have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, whether they achieved a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from numerous offseason moves, the coach's quest for his top team, the late forward's passing; the winger has felt the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key opening to the campaign.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's big match could provide the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 scores in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th visit to the stadium and have not won at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create the manager with another unexpected problem, yet, if he continue caught in the disruption much longer.

Latest Display

The team's boss likely noticed the paradox of the player's initial score against Djibouti in midweek. Swept directly with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the close post, his eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar spot to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been finished moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime assist in the league. Inquests into his decline and Liverpool's unusual losing run might also have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's search goes on while Slot broods over a third consecutive defeat away, two inflicted by late goals and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

Salah was key in driving Liverpool towards a tying 20th league title the prior campaign while speculation over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. We achieved almost the best out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Drop

His production in terms of scores and setups is reduced 50% on the corresponding point last season, from a total 8 in the initial seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. The count of attempts has decreased from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have fallen from 15 to five, causing a sharp decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is his chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, against fourteen at the equivalent point of the previous season, his figures stay among the best in Europe and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Output

Indicators of team output will trouble Slot more. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the opening seven league games of the previous term. This season's tally is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the squad's problems as a whole. Just United and Arsenal have tried more shots on goal than them now, but the team's proportion of shots from within the six-yard area is the lowest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the highest. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we primarily scored from a special moment from an attacker and in the later stage it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we lack as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action generates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting rivals in the manner the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, although the team are the division's third-best goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the century of points in fewer games than any boss in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side remain a squad of exceptional talent, able to starting and catching any rival for the championship, but synergy is lacking. This can not be pinned on the summer recruits only.

Individual and Collective Issues

The player is not the sole senior member to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to form and the defender struggling. But he ends up at the core of the disruption that has of late engulfed Liverpool. This goes to a personal level, with his sadness over the passing of Jota clear on that poignant opening night against Bournemouth. The effect of his tragedy can not be measured nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he