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It has been some time, but the Egyptian star was back taking on the starring role in recent days with a double in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The key player taking the spotlight once more. The Reds must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Inconsistent Showings

We see numerous factors why unsteady, unconvincing showings have been the common thread defining Liverpool's opening to their league defense, if they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's visit to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's hunt for his best XI, the late forward's loss; the winger has experienced the impact of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the season.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the source of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th visit to the stadium and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for more than nine years. The attacker will present Slot with an additional unexpected problem, though, if he continue lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Recent Performance

The team's manager must have seen the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot into the close post, his eighth strike of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar location to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the national team pause.

If that right-foot effort been converted shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating the new signing's maiden superb pass in the league. Analyses into Salah's drop and the team's unusual defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while Slot broods over a third consecutive away defeat, two inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

Salah was crucial in propelling the side towards a tying 20th league title the prior campaign while doubt over his future lingered in the backdrop. We extracted nearly the best out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. There has been a obvious drop-off on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the details of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

His contribution in terms of scores and setups is down half on the corresponding point last season, from a combined eight in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. His number of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have fallen from fifteen to 5, causing a sharp fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, against fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers are among the finest in Europe and up in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years each.

Team Output

Indicators of collective display will worry Slot further. Salah had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven league games of last season. This term's total is 39. These figures are reflective of the team's difficulties as a whole. Only United and the Gunners have attempted more attempts on goal than them now, but Liverpool's proportion of shots from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the Premier League, their share from outside the area among the highest. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the side that from live action creates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not punishing rivals in the fashion Slot envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, though Liverpool remain the league's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point total in less games than any manager in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding talent, capable of starting and catching any foe for the title, but unity is absent. This can not be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior member to suffer a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and the defender toiling. But he is at the center of the turmoil that has lately enveloped Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the passing of Jota obvious on that poignant season opener against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's loss can not be measured nor ignored.

Tactical Shifts

Last season, he