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It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah reappeared playing the lead part in recent days with a double in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on the limelight yet again. The Reds require him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Performances

There exist numerous causes why variable, lackluster displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's opening to their championship defense, whether they recorded seven straight victories or, prior to Manchester United's visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has felt the consequences of them all during his unusually quiet opening to the season.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's showpiece occasion could provide the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will create the manager with an additional unforeseen dilemma, yet, should he continue caught in the turmoil much longer.

Latest Performance

The team's boss likely noticed the paradox of Salah's opening strike against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept directly with the outside of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run came from an very similar position to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that attempt been scored shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising the new signing's maiden superb assist in the league. Inquests into Salah's decline and the team's rare defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, the midfielder's search goes on while Slot broods over a third defeat away, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was crucial in propelling Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the prior campaign while speculation over his future rumbled in the backdrop. We extracted almost the maximum out of Salah this season,” said Slot when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. There has been a noticeable decline on an personal and collective level since. The lineup, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and setups is down half on the same stage last season, from a combined 8 in the opening seven fixtures of last season to four (two goals and two assists) this season. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have fallen from 15 to five, leading to a significant decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, figures show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With twelve key passes, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last campaign, his stats remain among the top in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Collective Performance

Indicators of collective output will concern the coach more. Salah had 76 touches in the enemy box in the first seven league games of last season. The current campaign's total is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's problems as a whole. Only United and the Gunners have tried more shots on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard area is the smallest in the division, their share from outside the area among the top. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from an attacker and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Now we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from live action creates the most quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't punishing rivals in the fashion Slot imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board this summer, while the team are the division's third-best scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to achieve the century of points in less games than any manager in the club's past (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme individual quality, capable of sparking and reeling in any rival for the title, but unity is lacking. This cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Individual and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only key player to experience a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and the defender toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has of late enveloped Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with Salah's sorrow over the passing of Jota obvious on that emotional first game against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's death can neither be measured nor ignored.

Tactical Shifts

Last season, he