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It's been some time, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's place at the upcoming World Cup. The star taking the limelight yet again. The Reds require him to keep that position.

Causes for Inconsistent Performances

There exist numerous factors why variable, lackluster displays have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's opening to their league defense, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The disruption from multiple offseason moves, the coach's search for his top team, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his atypically subdued start to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the spark for the origin of a record 16 strikes in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will create Slot with an additional unexpected problem, however, if he continue caught in the turmoil indefinitely.

Latest Performance

The team's manager likely noticed the paradox of Salah's opening strike against the opponent recently. Swept immediately with the outside of his left foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run was from an very similar spot to his expensive error in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been finished shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be praising Florian Wirtz's first sublime setup in the English top flight. Discussions into his decline and the team's rare losing run might also have been postponed. Instead, the midfielder's wait continues while the coach fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was instrumental in driving the side towards a historic 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Salah that campaign,” said Slot when his main attacker signed an extension in April. We have seen a obvious drop-off on an individual and team level from then. The squad, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and setups is lower half on the same point the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the opening seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. The count of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have declined from 15 to five, causing a significant decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is his chance creation. With 12 key passes, against fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers stay among the top in Europe and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Display

Metrics of team performance will concern the coach more. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the opening seven matches of last season. This season's count is 39. These figures are reflective of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but the team's proportion of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the Premier League, their ratio from outside the area among the top. Liverpool's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play generates the most quality opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They are not beating opponents in the fashion Slot imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were signed this summer, although Liverpool are the league's equal third-top scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to reach the 100-point total in less games than any coach in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a squad of exceptional individual quality, able to sparking and reeling in any foe for the title, but unity is absent. That cannot be pinned on the summer recruits only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the sole established member to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and the defender struggling. But he is at the heart of the disruption that has recently engulfed Liverpool. That goes to a individual level, with his grief over the passing of Jota evident on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's death can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he