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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned playing the starring role recently with two goals in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's place at the global tournament. The main man stepping on the limelight yet again. Liverpool must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Performances

We see many reasons why unsteady, lackluster displays have been the recurring theme defining the team's beginning to their championship defense, if they recorded seven straight victories or, prior to the Red Devils' visit to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has experienced the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key opening to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's big match could deliver the catalyst for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will create the manager with another surprise issue, yet, should he stay caught in the disruption indefinitely.

Latest Display

Liverpool's boss must have seen the paradox of Salah's first goal against Djibouti in midweek. Struck first time with the exterior of his left foot into the front post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an nearly the same location to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been finished moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first sublime pass in the Premier League. Discussions into Salah's decline and Liverpool's rare losing run might also have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's wait persists while Slot stews over a third defeat away, a couple caused by late goals and another the result of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as Slot emphasized on Friday, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Last Season's Influence

The forward was instrumental in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown last season while doubt over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. We achieved almost the best out of Mo last term,” said the manager when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is down 50% on the same point the prior campaign, from a total eight in the first seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and two assists) this term. His number of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have fallen from fifteen to five, causing a steep decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With twelve key passes, versus 14 at the comparable period of last term, his figures stay among the top in the continent and up in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Performance

Indicators of team output will concern Slot additionally. He had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the initial seven matches of the previous term. This season's count is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only United and the Gunners have taken a greater number of shots on goal than them this season, but the team's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their share from long range among the top. Liverpool's percentage of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “This season we lack as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from general play generates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They aren't beating opponents in the way the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board recently, though Liverpool remain the division's third-best scorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for him to attain the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it finally gels. The side remain a team of outstanding talent, able to sparking and catching any opponent for the championship, but synergy is absent. That cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole senior player to experience a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to match sharpness and the defender laboring. But he is at the core of the disruption that has of late engulfed Liverpool. That goes to a individual level, with his sorrow over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The influence of Jota's loss can not be quantified nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he