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It's been some time, but Liverpool's forward reappeared playing the lead part recently with two goals in Casablanca that sealed Egypt's place at the upcoming World Cup. The key player claiming center stage once more. Liverpool must have him to stay there.

Factors for Inconsistent Performances

There exist several reasons why inconsistent, unconvincing displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their title defence, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from so many offseason moves, the coach's quest for his top team, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has felt the effect of them all during his unusually subdued beginning to the campaign.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's key fixture could provide the catalyst for the source of a record 16 scores in 17 games for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. Salah will pose the manager with an additional unforeseen dilemma, however, should he stay caught in the disruption much longer.

Recent Form

The team's head coach likely noticed the paradox of Salah's initial score against Djibouti recently. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his left foot into the near post, his eighth score of the national team's qualification run was from an very similar location to his costly miss versus Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that attempt been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime pass in the Premier League. Analyses into his drop and the team's unusual defeat streak might as well have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's search continues while the coach fumes over a third defeat away, two inflicted by dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was crucial in pushing the side towards a tying 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his future lingered in the background. “We brought almost the utmost out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a noticeable decrease on an personal and team level from then. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Statistical Decline

His contribution in terms of goals and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to 5, causing a steep decline in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, versus 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his numbers stay among the finest in the continent and up in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Team Performance

Measures of collective output will trouble Slot further. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the initial seven matches of last season. This term's total is 39. These figures are indicative of the squad's issues overall. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have tried more attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but the team's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the lowest in the division, their share from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly scored from a moment of magic from an attacker and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Now we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from open play creates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not punishing foes in the manner Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, although Liverpool are the division's third-best scorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any boss in the club's past (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it does settle. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding talent, equipped to starting and catching any foe for the championship, but synergy is missing. That cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Individual and Collective Issues

Salah is not the only established member to experience a dip, with the midfielder returning to match sharpness and the defender toiling. But he ends up at the center of the disruption that has lately enveloped Liverpool. That applies to a individual level, with his sadness over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's tragedy can not be measured nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he