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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward reappeared assuming the main part last week with a double in Casablanca that secured Egypt's place at the 2026 World Cup. The main man claiming center stage yet again. The Reds require him to keep that position.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

There exist many causes why variable, unimpressive showings have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before Manchester United's trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's quest for his top team, the late forward's loss; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his unusually low-key opening to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the catalyst for the source of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with an additional unexpected problem, however, should he remain caught in the turmoil much longer.

Recent Form

Liverpool's head coach must have seen the contrast of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, his eighth score of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an almost identical location to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the international break.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first superb pass in the Premier League. Discussions into his dip and the team's infrequent losing streak might also have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while the coach broods over a third defeat away, two due to late goals and another the result of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was key in pushing the side towards a tying 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. We extracted 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 decline on an individual and team level from then. The squad, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

His output in terms of goals and setups is down 50% on the same point the previous term, from a combined 8 in the first seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a steep drop in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is Salah's playmaking. With 12 key passes, against 14 at the comparable period of last campaign, his stats are among the finest in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Measures of collective display will trouble the coach further. He had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven league games of last season. This term's tally is 39. The numbers are reflective of the squad's issues in general. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of shots from within the six-yard box is the smallest in the top flight, their share from long range among the top. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly scored from a special moment from an attacker and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “Now we haven’t had as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from general play creates the highest xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They aren't hurting foes in the way Slot planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were signed recently, while Liverpool remain the division's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to reach the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a team of supreme individual quality, capable of igniting and chasing any foe for the title, but cohesion is absent. This can not be attributed on the new signings alone.

Individual and Team Challenges

The player is not the only senior member to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder returning to fitness and the defender struggling. But he ends up at the core of the upheaval that has of late affected Liverpool. That goes to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the loss of Jota obvious on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The impact of his death can neither be assessed nor ignored.

Strategic Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he