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It has been some time, but the Egyptian star reappeared playing the lead part in recent days with a double in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the limelight yet again. Liverpool need him to keep that position.

Causes for Inconsistent Showings

We see many factors why inconsistent, unconvincing showings have been the common thread defining the team's start to their league defense, whether they recorded a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The turmoil from multiple new signings, the coach's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has endured the impact of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the term.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's key fixture could provide the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 games for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for over nine years. The attacker will create Slot with an additional surprise issue, yet, should he stay caught in the disruption much longer.

Recent Performance

Liverpool's boss likely seen the paradox of the player's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Struck first time with the outside of his left foot into the front post, his eighth score of Egypt's qualifying effort came from an almost identical location to his costly miss in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

If that right-foot effort been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be praising the new signing's first excellent pass in the Premier League. Inquests into Salah's drop and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might as well have been postponed. Rather, Wirtz's wait goes on while the coach broods over a third away defeat, a couple inflicted by dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on Friday, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Last Season's Influence

Salah was crucial in pushing Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship last season while doubt over his career persisted in the background. We achieved almost the maximum out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level since. The team, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and setups is reduced 50% on the corresponding point last season, from a total eight in the first seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this season. His tally of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have dropped from fifteen to five, causing a steep decline in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his creativity. With 12 key passes, against 14 at the equivalent point of last term, his figures are among the best in the continent and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Performance

Indicators of collective output will trouble the coach more. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the first seven matches of last season. This term's tally is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the squad's difficulties in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from within the six-yard box is the smallest in the Premier League, their percentage from outside the area among the highest. Liverpool's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a special moment from an attacker and in the later stage it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we lack as numerous sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the team that from open play creates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They aren't punishing rivals in the fashion the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were brought on board this summer, although the team remain the league's equal third-top scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for him to reach the century of points in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it finally gels. The side are still a squad of supreme individual quality, capable of sparking and reeling in any opponent for the title, but cohesion is missing. That cannot be blamed on the summer recruits only.

Individual and Team Issues

Salah is not the sole key member to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he ends up at the heart of the disruption that has recently engulfed the club. That goes to a personal level, with his sorrow over the passing of Jota clear on that poignant first game against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's death can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Strategic Changes

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