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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward returned playing the lead part recently with a double in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's place at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the limelight another time. The Merseyside club require him to remain there.

Reasons for Unsteady Showings

There exist many reasons why inconsistent, lackluster performances have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's start to their title defence, whether they recorded seven straight victories or, before Manchester United's arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, a losing run. The disruption from multiple new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his unusually quiet beginning to the term.

The Weekend's Key Fixture

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create the manager with another unexpected problem, however, should he remain caught in the turmoil much longer.

Current Form

Liverpool's boss must have seen the irony of Salah's initial score against the opponent recently. Struck immediately with the outside of his stronger foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualifying effort originated from an nearly the same location to his expensive error against Chelsea before the break for internationals.

If that shot with his right been finished shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first excellent assist in the league. Discussions into his drop and the team's unusual losing streak might also have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search goes on while Slot stews over a third away defeat, two caused by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Small margins, as he reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was crucial in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown the prior campaign while doubt over his career persisted in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Salah this season,” said the manager when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a clear decrease on an individual and team level since. The team, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

His output in terms of goals and assists is lower half on the same stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of shots has fallen from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have dropped from 15 to 5, causing a significant fall in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

One attribute that has held more steady is his playmaking. With 12 chances created, compared with fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers are among the finest in Europe and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Output

Measures of team performance will concern the coach more. He had seventy-six touches in the enemy box in the first seven fixtures of the prior campaign. The current campaign's tally is 39. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from inside 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% – is also among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mostly found the net from a special moment from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we lack as many moments of genius and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from general play generates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing rivals in the manner the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board this summer, although Liverpool are the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to attain the century of points in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's past (46). Consider what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of exceptional skill, able to sparking and reeling in any rival for the championship, but synergy is absent. That cannot be attributed on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the sole established member to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the center of the upheaval that has recently engulfed Liverpool. This extends to a individual level, with his sorrow over the loss of Jota clear on that heartfelt first game against Bournemouth. The effect of Jota's death can neither be assessed nor dismissed.

Strategic Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he