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It has been a period, but Liverpool's forward returned assuming the main part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that sealed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The key player taking the limelight once more. The Merseyside club need him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Showings

There exist several factors why inconsistent, unimpressive performances have been the common thread characterizing the team's beginning to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his atypically low-key opening to the term.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against United, who are paying their 100th visit to the stadium and have not succeeded at their archrivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose the manager with an additional surprise issue, yet, if he remain caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Current Display

The team's boss must have seen the paradox of Salah's initial score against Djibouti in midweek. Struck first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the front post, his eighth strike of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an nearly the same spot to his expensive error against Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that shot with his right been scored shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent setup in the Premier League. Discussions into his decline and the team's rare losing run might also have been postponed. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while Slot broods over a third loss on the road, two due to dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as he emphasized on recently, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was instrumental in driving the side towards a historic 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his career persisted in the background. We extracted nearly the best out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. There has been a obvious decline on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the details of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and assists is reduced 50% on the same point the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. His number of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have fallen from 15 to 5, contributing to a sharp fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, statistics show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his chance creation. With twelve opportunities made, compared with 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his stats remain among the best in Europe and up in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Output

Indicators of team output will trouble the coach further. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. The current campaign's tally is 39. The numbers are reflective of the team's problems in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's rate of shots from within the six-yard box is the lowest in the division, their ratio from distance among the greatest. The club's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly scored from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “This season we lack as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from general play generates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing rivals in the way Slot envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board recently, while Liverpool stay the league's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to reach the century of points in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's past (46). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of supreme talent, capable of starting and catching any rival for the championship, but unity is lacking. This cannot be attributed on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the only senior player to experience a drop-off, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he is at the center of the disruption that has lately affected the club. That extends to a personal level, with his grief over the loss of Jota evident on that heartfelt opening night against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's death can not be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he