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It has been a while, but Liverpool's forward returned taking on the starring role last week with a double in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The star stepping on center stage yet again. The Merseyside club need him to keep that position.

Causes for Variable Performances

There are numerous reasons why inconsistent, unimpressive performances have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's beginning to their title defence, whether they recorded a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from so many offseason moves, the coach's search for his top team, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has endured the consequences of them all during his unusually subdued beginning to the campaign.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could provide the spark for the source of a record 16 scores in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create the manager with an additional unexpected problem, though, should he remain lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Recent Form

The team's boss likely noticed the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Swept directly with the exterior of his left foot inside the front post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's qualification run came from an very similar position to his costly miss in the Chelsea match before the international break.

If that shot with his right been scored moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be praising the new signing's first superb setup in the English top flight. Inquests into Salah's drop and the team's rare losing run might also have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's wait persists while Slot fumes over a third defeat away, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on Friday, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was key in pushing Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. “We brought almost the best out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a noticeable decrease on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Statistical Decrease

His production in terms of goals and setups is lower half on the same point the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven fixtures of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and two assists) this term. His number of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have declined from fifteen to five, leading to a significant fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With twelve chances created, against fourteen at the comparable period of last campaign, his stats stay among the best in Europe and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Performance

Indicators of team performance will trouble Slot more. Salah had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. This season's tally is thirty-nine. These figures are indicative of the squad's issues in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but the team's rate of attempts from within the six-yard box is the smallest in the top flight, their share from outside the area among the highest. The club's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mostly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “Currently we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from general play produces the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing opponents in the fashion Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired this summer, although the team remain the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point total in less games than any coach in the club's past (forty-six). Consider what his attack will do when it clicks. The side remain a squad of supreme individual quality, capable of igniting and chasing any foe for the title, but synergy is lacking. This can not be blamed on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Team Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior member to suffer a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he ends up at the heart of the turmoil that has recently engulfed the club. That goes to a individual level, with his sadness over the death of Jota obvious on that heartfelt opening night against Bournemouth. The influence of his loss can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

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