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It has been a while, but the Egyptian star was back taking on the starring role last week with a brace in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking center stage once more. Liverpool must have him to stay there.

Causes for Variable Showings

There exist several reasons why variable, lackluster performances have been the frequent pattern characterizing the team's start to their title defence, whether they achieved a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from so many summer changes, the coach's quest for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has felt the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued opening to the season.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's big match could deliver the impetus for the cause of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not triumphed at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will present Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, however, should he continue caught in the upheaval indefinitely.

Current Display

The team's manager likely recognized the irony of the player's opening strike against the opponent recently. Struck directly with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, his eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an almost identical spot to his big mistake against Chelsea prior to the international break.

If that attempt been converted moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's first superb pass in the league. Inquests into Salah's decline and Liverpool's infrequent defeat streak might as well have been postponed. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while the coach broods over a third consecutive away defeat, two due to last-minute winners and one the result of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Last Season's Influence

Salah was instrumental in pushing the side towards a tying 20th league title the prior campaign while uncertainty over his long-term plans persisted in the background. We extracted nearly the utmost out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are accountable.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and setups is lower half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this season. His number of attempts has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have declined from fifteen to 5, leading to a significant fall in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

One attribute that has held more steady is Salah's chance creation. With twelve chances created, compared with fourteen at the comparable period of last term, his figures remain among the best in the continent and comparable in the ranks of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and 13 years each.

Team Output

Measures of collective output will worry the coach additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the enemy box in the first seven fixtures of last season. This season's total is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the team's difficulties as a whole. Just United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of shots from inside the goal area is the poorest in the top flight, their percentage from distance among the highest. Liverpool's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is as well among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mainly scored from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the later stage it was mostly from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from live action produces the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't punishing foes in the manner the coach imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired recently, although Liverpool remain the league's equal third-top scorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme skill, equipped to starting and catching any foe for the title, but cohesion is lacking. This can not be pinned on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior member to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder regaining to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the heart of the turmoil that has recently engulfed Liverpool. That extends to a individual level, with his sorrow over the passing of Jota obvious on that heartfelt season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of his death can neither be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he