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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the starring role last week with two goals in Morocco that secured Egypt's position at the global tournament. The main man stepping on the limelight once more. The Reds require him to keep that position.

Reasons for Unsteady Showings

There exist many factors why variable, lackluster performances have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's opening to their title defence, if they achieved seven wins in a row or, before Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's quest for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his atypically subdued beginning to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for more than nine years. Salah will present the manager with a further unexpected problem, yet, should he continue caught in the disruption much longer.

Latest Performance

The team's manager likely recognized the paradox of the player's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled first time with the outside of his stronger foot inside the close post, his eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an nearly the same spot to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that attempt been converted moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be praising the new signing's first superb pass in the Premier League. Analyses into his dip and the team's unusual losing run might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search goes on while Slot stews over a third consecutive loss on the road, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as he reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was instrumental in driving the side towards a tying 20th league title last season while uncertainty over his career lingered in the backdrop. We achieved almost the maximum out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his main attacker signed an extension in April. We have seen a clear decrease on an individual and team level from then. The team, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Statistical Decrease

His contribution in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the corresponding point last season, from a total eight in the opening seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. His number of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have dropped from fifteen to 5, causing a steep fall in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's playmaking. With twelve opportunities made, compared with fourteen at the comparable period of last term, his stats stay among the finest in Europe and up in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Performance

Indicators of collective performance will worry the coach more. Salah had seventy-six touches in the opposition box in the opening seven matches of the prior campaign. This season's count is 39. These figures are indicative of the squad's difficulties overall. Only United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from inside the goal area is the lowest in the top flight, their ratio from long range among the top. The club's percentage of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we primarily scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” the manager said. “This season we lack as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action creates the most xG chances.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting rivals in the way the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, while the team stay the league's third-best goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to achieve the century of points in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a team of supreme skill, able to starting and catching any opponent for the championship, but cohesion is absent. That cannot be attributed on the new signings by themselves.

Personal and Team Problems

The player is not the only established player to experience a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and the defender laboring. But he ends up at the core of the turmoil that has of late enveloped Liverpool. That goes to a individual level, with Salah's grief over the passing of Jota obvious on that emotional first game against Bournemouth. The effect of his tragedy can not be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

In the prior campaign, he