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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward was back playing the main part in recent days with a double in Casablanca that secured Egypt's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The main man claiming center stage another time. The Reds must have him to remain there.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

We see several factors why inconsistent, unconvincing displays have been the common thread defining the team's start to their league defense, whether they produced seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous new signings, Arne Slot's hunt for his top team, the late forward's loss; the winger has experienced the impact of them all during his atypically low-key beginning to the term.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's key fixture could offer the spark for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not won at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will create the manager with an additional unexpected problem, though, if he continue caught in the upheaval indefinitely.

Recent Display

Liverpool's head coach must have seen the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent recently. Struck directly with the exterior of his left foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an almost identical spot to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising the new signing's first excellent assist in the English top flight. Analyses into Salah's dip and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while the coach broods over a third defeat away, two caused by dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as Slot emphasized on recently, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was crucial in driving Liverpool towards a tying 20th championship last season while uncertainty over his long-term plans lingered in the background. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Salah that campaign,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a clear decrease on an personal and collective level from then. The squad, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and setups is reduced 50% on the same stage the previous term, from a combined 8 in the initial seven matches of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of attempts has dropped from 22 to 12 while shots on target have fallen from 15 to 5, leading to a sharp drop in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is his chance creation. With 12 key passes, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last term, his figures remain among the top in Europe and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Collective Display

Metrics of team display will concern the coach more. He had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the opening seven fixtures of the prior campaign. The current campaign's tally is 39. The stats are reflective of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of shots on goal than them now, but the team's proportion of shots from within the six-yard area is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from long range among the top. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the later stage it was more from a dead ball,” Slot said. “This season we lack as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from general play creates the most expected goals opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not beating rivals in the way the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were signed this summer, although Liverpool stay the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for him to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side are still a team of exceptional individual quality, capable of igniting and reeling in any rival for the title, but cohesion is missing. This can not be pinned on the new signings by themselves.

Personal and Team Challenges

The player is not the only established member to experience a drop-off, with the midfielder returning to match sharpness and the defender struggling. But he is at the core of the turmoil that has lately affected the club. This goes to a individual level, with his sorrow over the loss of Diogo Jota clear on that heartfelt season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of his loss can not be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he