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It has been some time, but Liverpool's forward was back taking on the lead part recently with two goals in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The star taking the spotlight another time. The Reds require him to remain there.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

We see numerous factors why unsteady, unimpressive performances have been the recurring theme running through Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The turmoil from so many new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has endured the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet opening to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's key fixture could provide the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for over nine years. Salah will pose Slot with a further unexpected problem, though, if he remain lost in the upheaval indefinitely.

Current Form

The team's manager must have noticed the irony of Salah's first goal against Djibouti in midweek. Struck directly with the outside of his left foot inside the front post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar location to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising the new signing's first excellent setup in the league. Inquests into Salah's dip and the team's unusual losing streak might as well have been postponed. Instead, the midfielder's search goes on while the coach stews over a third loss on the road, a couple caused by last-minute winners and one the result of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was crucial in pushing Liverpool towards a tying 20th crown last season while uncertainty over his career rumbled in the backdrop. “We brought almost the utmost out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his main attacker signed an extension in April. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Performance Drop

His output in terms of scores and setups is down half on the corresponding point last season, from a combined eight in the initial seven matches of last season to four (two goals and two assists) this term. The count of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to five, causing a steep drop in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

A single trait that has held more steady is his creativity. With 12 chances created, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last campaign, his numbers remain among the top in Europe and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years each.

Collective Performance

Measures of collective display will trouble Slot more. He had 76 touches in the opposition box in the first seven matches of the prior campaign. This season's total is thirty-nine. These figures are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Only United and the Gunners have tried more shots on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of shots from within the six-yard box is the poorest in the Premier League, their ratio from distance among the highest. Liverpool's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a dead ball,” the manager said. “This season we haven’t had as many moments of genius and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from open play generates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating opponents in the manner the coach planned when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, though the team are the division's third-best scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to reach the century of points in fewer games than any coach in the club's history (46). Think what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of exceptional skill, able to igniting and chasing any foe for the title, but cohesion is missing. This can not be attributed on the new signings by themselves.

Personal and Team Issues

The player is not the sole established player to experience a dip, with the midfielder returning to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he ends up at the center of the disruption that has recently enveloped Liverpool. This goes to a personal level, with Salah's sorrow over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The impact of his loss can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

Last season, he