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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah reappeared playing the lead part in recent days with a double in Casablanca that confirmed the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the limelight another time. Liverpool require him to remain there.

Factors for Inconsistent Performances

There exist numerous reasons why inconsistent, unconvincing showings have been the frequent pattern characterizing the team's beginning to their title defence, if they achieved seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his unusually low-key start to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's key fixture could offer the spark for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 games for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for almost a decade. The attacker will pose Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, should he continue lost in the upheaval for an extended period.

Recent Display

Liverpool's manager likely seen the irony of Salah's opening strike against the opponent recently. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's qualification run was from an very similar spot to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that attempt been finished shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime assist in the league. Inquests into his dip and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might as well have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search persists while the coach stews over a third loss on the road, a couple caused by late goals and one the result of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a tying 20th crown last season while speculation over his future lingered in the background. We achieved almost the maximum out of Mo this season,” said the manager when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a obvious decline on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's production in terms of goals and assists is reduced half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a total eight in the initial seven matches of last season to four (two goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. His number of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while shots on target have declined from 15 to five, contributing to a steep drop in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, versus fourteen at the same stage of last term, his figures remain among the top in the continent and up in the group of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Collective Performance

Metrics of collective display will concern the coach more. Salah had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven fixtures of the previous term. This season's count is 39. These figures are reflective of the squad's problems in general. Just United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the poorest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the highest. Liverpool's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Now we have not seen as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the side that from live action produces the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not beating opponents in the manner the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were signed recently, though the team remain the league's third-best scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for him to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any manager in Liverpool's history (46). Think what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a team of outstanding skill, able to sparking and reeling in any foe for the title, but cohesion is missing. That cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals alone.

Individual and Team Challenges

Salah is not the sole key player to experience a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he is at the heart of the disruption that has recently engulfed Liverpool. That extends to a personal level, with his sorrow over the passing of Jota evident on that emotional opening night against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's death can neither be quantified nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he