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It's been some time, but Liverpool's forward returned playing the main part recently with a double in Casablanca that sealed Egypt's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight yet again. The Reds need him to keep that position.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

There are several causes why unsteady, unconvincing performances have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their league defense, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, the coach's hunt for his top team, the late forward's passing; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his atypically quiet beginning to the term.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's key fixture could provide the catalyst for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will present the manager with a further surprise issue, however, if he stay lost in the disruption much longer.

Latest Display

The team's manager likely recognized the paradox of Salah's first goal against the opponent in midweek. Drilled immediately with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, his eighth strike of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an almost identical position to his big mistake in the Chelsea match before the national team pause.

Had that attempt been scored moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first excellent pass in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's dip and the team's unusual losing run might also have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's search continues while Slot fumes over a third defeat away, a couple caused by late goals and one the outcome of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was key in pushing Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th league title last season while speculation over his long-term plans lingered in the background. We achieved nearly the utmost out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a clear decline on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and assists is reduced half on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the first seven fixtures of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from 15 to 5, leading to a steep decline in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With twelve key passes, against fourteen at the equivalent point of last campaign, his stats remain among the top in Europe and up in the group of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Performance

Measures of collective performance will concern Slot further. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition box in the first seven fixtures of the previous term. The current campaign's count is 39. The stats are indicative of the squad's problems in general. Just United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but the team's percentage of attempts from within the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their percentage from long range among the top. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play creates the highest xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not hurting foes in the manner the coach planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, though the team stay the league's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the century of points in fewer games than any coach in the club's history (forty-six). Consider what his attack will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding individual quality, equipped to igniting and catching any opponent for the title, but cohesion is missing. That can not be blamed on the new signings by themselves.

Personal and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole senior player to suffer a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the core of the turmoil that has recently enveloped the club. This extends to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the loss of Diogo Jota clear on that emotional opening night against Bournemouth. The influence of his death can not be measured nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

Last season, he