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It's been a while, but the Egyptian star returned taking on the lead part recently with a double in Casablanca that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The key player taking center stage another time. Liverpool need him to stay there.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

We see several factors why variable, unimpressive displays have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's start to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The turmoil from numerous offseason moves, the coach's quest for his best XI, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has felt the effect of them all during his atypically quiet start to the season.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 games for the club against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will present Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, if he continue caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Performance

Liverpool's manager must have recognized the paradox of the player's opening strike against Djibouti in midweek. Swept first time with the outside of his left foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualifying effort was from an almost identical position to his expensive error versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been scored shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be celebrating the new signing's maiden superb assist in the English top flight. Discussions into Salah's dip and the team's unusual losing streak might also have been postponed. Rather, Wirtz's search continues while the coach broods over a third consecutive away defeat, two inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was key in driving Liverpool towards a tying 20th league title last season while uncertainty over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. “We brought 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 obvious drop-off on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Decline

His production in terms of goals and setups is down half on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the initial seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of attempts has fallen from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to 5, causing a significant drop in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, figures show.

A single trait that has remained consistent is his creativity. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the comparable period of the previous season, his figures are among the top in Europe and up in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Collective Performance

Indicators of collective display will concern Slot additionally. He had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven league games of last season. This season's tally is 39. The stats are symptomatic of the squad's difficulties in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have taken more shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard area is the smallest in the Premier League, their share from outside the area among the greatest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily scored from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Now we lack as many acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the team that from open play generates the most xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not hurting rivals in the fashion Slot envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were brought on board recently, although Liverpool stay the league's third-best goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to reach the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Consider what his offense will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of exceptional skill, equipped to igniting and reeling in any rival for the championship, but synergy is absent. That cannot be blamed on the summer recruits alone.

Personal and Team Problems

The player is not the sole key player to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and the defender toiling. But he ends up at the heart of the upheaval that has lately affected Liverpool. This goes to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the loss of Jota obvious on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The impact of his death can neither be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he