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It has been a while, but the Egyptian star returned assuming the starring role recently with two goals in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man claiming center stage another time. Liverpool need him to stay there.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

There are several causes why inconsistent, unimpressive displays have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their title defence, if they achieved seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, a losing run. The disruption from numerous new signings, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has endured the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet beginning to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could provide the catalyst for the cause of a record 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for more than nine years. Salah will present the manager with another unforeseen dilemma, though, should he continue caught in the disruption indefinitely.

Current Performance

Liverpool's boss likely seen the irony of the player's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth strike of the national team's qualifying effort was from an almost identical position to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be celebrating the new signing's first superb setup in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's decline and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while Slot fumes over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple caused by last-minute winners and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Impact

Salah was key in driving the side towards a historic 20th championship last season while speculation over his career lingered in the background. We achieved almost the utmost out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a clear decline on an personal and team level from then. The squad, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is reduced half on the same stage the previous term, from a combined 8 in the first seven league games of 2024-25 to four (two goals and two assists) this season. His tally of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have fallen from 15 to five, causing a steep drop in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his playmaking. With twelve key passes, versus fourteen at the comparable period of the previous season, his numbers stay among the best in the continent and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Output

Metrics of collective display will trouble the coach more. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the opening seven league games of last season. This term's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are indicative of the team's difficulties as a whole. Just United and the Gunners have taken a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the goal area is the lowest in the division, their share from outside the area among the greatest. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “This season we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play generates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing rivals in the way the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board in the offseason, while the team are the league's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any boss in the club's history (forty-six). Consider what his offense will do when it clicks. The side remain a team of outstanding talent, capable of starting and chasing any opponent for the title, but synergy is lacking. This can not be attributed on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Team Issues

The player is not the only senior member to experience a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and the defender laboring. But he ends up at the core of the turmoil that has of late engulfed the club. That goes to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the death of Diogo Jota clear on that emotional first game against Bournemouth. The influence of his tragedy can not be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he