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It has been a while, but the Egyptian star reappeared taking on the starring role last week with a brace in Morocco that secured Egypt's position at the 2026 World Cup. The main man stepping on the spotlight another time. Liverpool require him to remain there.

Factors for Inconsistent Showings

We see numerous reasons why variable, unimpressive showings have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their league defense, whether they recorded a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's quest for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has experienced the consequences of them all during his unusually low-key start to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will pose the manager with a further surprise issue, yet, should he continue lost in the disruption indefinitely.

Current Form

Liverpool's manager must have seen the paradox of the player's opening strike against the opponent in midweek. Drilled first time with the exterior of his left foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's qualification run came from an almost identical spot to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the national team pause.

Had that attempt been scored moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first sublime assist in the league. Analyses into Salah's dip and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might also have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's search continues while Slot fumes over a third loss on the road, two caused by late goals and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was key in driving Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown last season while doubt over his future lingered in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the utmost out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in April. There has been a obvious drop-off on an personal and collective level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is down half on the corresponding point the previous term, from a combined eight in the initial seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. His number of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while efforts on goal have fallen from fifteen to five, leading to a significant fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A single trait that has remained consistent is his creativity. With twelve chances created, against 14 at the comparable period of the previous season, his figures remain among the finest in the continent and comparable in the group of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Team Performance

Indicators of team output will worry Slot more. He had 76 touches in the enemy box in the initial seven league games of last season. The current campaign's tally is 39. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's difficulties in general. Only United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than them now, but the team's proportion of shots from inside the six-yard area is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from outside the area among the top. The club's proportion of efforts on goal – 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 later stage it was more from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Currently we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from general play creates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not hurting rivals in the manner Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were signed in the offseason, while Liverpool remain the league's third-best scorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for Slot to achieve the century of points in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (46). Consider what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side remain a squad of exceptional skill, able to igniting and chasing any foe for the championship, but unity is lacking. This cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Collective Problems

Salah is not the only senior player to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to match sharpness and the defender laboring. But he finds himself at the heart of the disruption that has lately affected Liverpool. That goes to a personal level, with his sadness over the passing of Jota clear on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's death can not be measured nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he