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It's been some time, but the Egyptian star was back taking on the starring role recently with a brace in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The key player claiming center stage once more. The Reds require him to stay there.

Factors for Unsteady Showings

There are several causes why unsteady, lackluster displays have been the recurring theme running through Liverpool's start to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The disruption from numerous summer changes, the coach's search for his best XI, the late forward's passing; the winger has felt the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued opening to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's big match could offer the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their biggest foes for almost a decade. The attacker will present Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, if he stay caught in the upheaval much longer.

Current Display

The team's head coach must have recognized the paradox of Salah's first goal against Djibouti recently. Struck directly with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth strike of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same location to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been scored shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating the new signing's maiden superb setup in the English top flight. Inquests into Salah's dip and the team's unusual defeat streak might also have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's wait goes on while the coach stews over a third away defeat, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was crucial in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th league title the prior campaign while doubt over his career rumbled in the background. We extracted nearly the maximum out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a obvious decline on an personal and team level since. The team, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and setups is lower half on the corresponding point the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven matches of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. His number of attempts has decreased from 22 to 12 while shots on target have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a significant fall in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is Salah's playmaking. With twelve chances created, versus 14 at the comparable period of last campaign, his figures stay among the finest in the continent and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Team Display

Metrics of team performance will trouble Slot additionally. Salah had seventy-six touches in the opposition box in the opening seven league games of the previous term. This season's count is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the team's issues in general. Just United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from inside the goal area is the smallest in the division, their percentage from long range among the highest. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we lack as numerous moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the team that from general play creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not beating foes in the fashion Slot planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board in the offseason, although the team are the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to reach the century of points in less games than any boss in the club's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it finally gels. The side remain a team of outstanding individual quality, able to sparking and chasing any rival for the title, but unity is missing. This can not be attributed on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the sole established member to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to match sharpness and the defender struggling. But he ends up at the center of the upheaval that has recently enveloped Liverpool. That extends to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of his loss can neither be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Changes

In the prior campaign, he