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It has been some time, but Liverpool's forward was back playing the starring role last week with a double in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The main man taking the spotlight yet again. The Merseyside club must have him to stay there.

Causes for Unsteady Showings

We see numerous reasons why unsteady, lackluster performances have been the common thread running through Liverpool's opening to their title defence, if they achieved seven straight victories or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has endured the consequences of them all during his atypically subdued beginning to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, however, should he remain caught in the disruption for an extended period.

Recent Performance

Liverpool's manager must have seen the contrast of the player's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck directly with the outside of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same location to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

If that attempt been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime setup in the league. Discussions into his decline and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might also have been postponed. Instead, Wirtz's wait continues while the coach broods over a third loss on the road, two due to dying-minute strikes and one the result of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as he repeated on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was instrumental in driving Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while speculation over his future lingered in the backdrop. We achieved almost the best out of Salah that campaign,” said Slot when his main attacker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an individual and team level since. The team, not the terms of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and setups is reduced half on the same point the previous term, from a combined 8 in the opening seven league games of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. His tally of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from 15 to five, causing a steep decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has held more steady is his creativity. With twelve key passes, against fourteen at the comparable period of last term, his numbers remain among the top in Europe and up in the group of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Output

Indicators of team performance will trouble Slot additionally. Salah had 76 contacts in the enemy penalty area in the initial seven fixtures of the previous term. This term's total is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we primarily scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “Now we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from live action produces the most expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They are not hurting opponents in the fashion the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed this summer, although Liverpool stay the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for him to reach the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side remain a squad of outstanding skill, able to sparking and reeling in any opponent for the title, but cohesion is absent. This cannot be blamed on the summer recruits only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only senior player to experience a decline, with the midfielder regaining to fitness and the defender laboring. But he ends up at the center of the turmoil that has lately engulfed the club. This applies to a personal level, with his sadness over the passing of Jota evident on that emotional opening night against the Cherries. The influence of Jota's death can not be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he