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It has been some time, but Liverpool's forward returned playing the starring role last week with a brace in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The key player claiming the limelight another time. The Merseyside club require him to remain there.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

There exist numerous reasons why unsteady, unconvincing displays have been the recurring theme defining the team's opening to their league defense, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from so many summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has felt the effect of them all during his atypically low-key opening to the season.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will present Slot with an additional unexpected problem, yet, if he stay lost in the disruption indefinitely.

Current Form

Liverpool's manager must have noticed the paradox of Salah's opening strike against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled directly with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's qualification run came from an nearly the same location to his big mistake in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first superb assist in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and the team's unusual defeat streak might also have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's search goes on while the coach stews over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple due to last-minute winners and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Small margins, as Slot emphasized on Friday, but they do not mask larger problems.

Last Season's Impact

Salah was crucial in driving Liverpool towards a historic 20th league title the prior campaign while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an individual and team level since. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is lower 50% on the corresponding point last season, from a total 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of attempts has dropped from 22 to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from fifteen to 5, contributing to a significant decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, statistics show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, compared with 14 at the same stage of the previous season, his figures stay among the best in the continent and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Collective Output

Indicators of team display will worry Slot further. Salah had seventy-six touches in the enemy box in the opening seven matches of last season. The current campaign's tally is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the team's problems in general. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of shots from inside the six-yard area is the smallest in the division, their percentage from outside the area among the top. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign 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,” the manager said. “This season we have not seen as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play produces the highest xG chances.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating rivals in the way Slot imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board recently, though the team remain the division's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the 100-point total in less games than any manager in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his attack will do when it finally gels. The side are still a squad of supreme talent, able to starting and reeling in any opponent for the championship, but synergy is missing. That cannot be pinned on the new signings alone.

Individual and Collective Issues

The player is not the only established member to experience a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the center of the turmoil that has recently engulfed Liverpool. That applies to a individual level, with his sadness over the passing of Jota evident on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's tragedy can not be assessed nor ignored.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he