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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward reappeared taking on the main part recently with two goals in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's place at the 2026 World Cup. The star taking the spotlight another time. The Reds require him to remain there.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

There exist several causes why inconsistent, unimpressive displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's start to their championship defense, whether they achieved a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from numerous offseason moves, the coach's quest for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's loss; the winger has experienced the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the term.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's key fixture could deliver the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. Salah will present Slot with an additional unexpected problem, though, should he stay caught in the turmoil indefinitely.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's manager must have noticed the irony of Salah's first goal against the opponent recently. Struck directly with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualifying effort came from an almost identical location to his big mistake against Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been finished moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first excellent setup in the English top flight. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might as well have been postponed. Rather, the midfielder's wait goes on while the coach broods over a third away defeat, two due to dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. “We brought almost the utmost out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decline on an individual and collective level from then. The lineup, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and setups is down 50% on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the initial seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to 5, contributing to a sharp decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, figures show.

One attribute that has held more steady is his chance creation. With 12 key passes, compared with 14 at the same stage of last term, his numbers remain among the top in the continent and up in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Team Output

Measures of team display will concern the coach more. He had 76 contacts in the enemy penalty area in the initial seven fixtures of last season. This term's total is 39. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties overall. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have taken more attempts on goal than them in the current term, but the team's rate of attempts from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the division, their share from long range among the top. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mostly scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Currently we haven’t had as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action generates the most quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating foes in the fashion Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board this summer, though Liverpool remain the division's equal third-top scorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any boss in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it finally gels. The side remain a squad of exceptional skill, capable of sparking and catching any opponent for the championship, but cohesion is absent. That can not be attributed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the sole senior member to suffer a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to match sharpness and the defender laboring. But he ends up at the center of the upheaval that has of late affected the club. This applies to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the death of Jota clear on that poignant first game against the Cherries. The influence of his loss can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he