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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back assuming the main part recently with two goals in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The star stepping on center stage once more. Liverpool must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Displays

There are several factors why variable, unimpressive showings have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's start to their league defense, if they produced seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from numerous new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has experienced the effect of them all during his unusually low-key start to the term.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the cause of a record 16 strikes in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for more than nine years. The attacker will present Slot with a further surprise issue, yet, should he remain caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Latest Performance

The team's boss must have seen the paradox of the player's first goal against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck first time with the outside of his stronger foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualification run came from an almost identical location to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been converted shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime assist in the English top flight. Inquests into his decline and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might also have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's wait continues while the coach fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple due to late goals and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot repeated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Last Season's Impact

Salah was key in propelling Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the prior campaign while uncertainty over his future lingered in the background. We achieved nearly the utmost out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a clear drop-off on an individual and team level from then. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the initial seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. His tally of attempts has dropped from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have dropped from 15 to five, leading to a significant decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A single trait that has held more steady is his creativity. With 12 opportunities made, compared with 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his stats stay among the top in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Performance

Measures of collective display will concern Slot more. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the opening seven fixtures of the prior campaign. This season's tally is thirty-nine. These figures are indicative of the team's difficulties as a whole. Just United and the Gunners have tried more attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from inside the goal area is the lowest in the Premier League, their ratio from distance among the top. Liverpool's percentage of shots on target – 28.4% – is also among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we primarily scored from a special moment from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action produces the most xG chances.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not punishing opponents in the fashion the coach imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board in the offseason, although the team are the division's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for him to attain the 100-point mark in less games than any boss in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a team of outstanding talent, capable of sparking and reeling in any opponent for the title, but cohesion is absent. This cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Collective Issues

The player is not the sole key player to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to match sharpness and the defender toiling. But he ends up at the heart of the turmoil that has lately affected the club. This applies to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the passing of Diogo Jota clear on that poignant first game against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's tragedy can not be assessed nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he