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It has been some time, but the Egyptian star reappeared playing the starring role last week with two goals in Casablanca that secured Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on the spotlight yet again. The Merseyside club must have him to stay there.

Factors for Unsteady Displays

We see numerous reasons why inconsistent, unimpressive showings have been the frequent pattern running through the team's start to their league defense, if they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The disruption from numerous offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his top team, the late forward's loss; Salah has endured the effect of them all during his unusually quiet beginning to the term.

Sunday's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the source of a record 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for almost a decade. The attacker will present Slot with another surprise issue, though, if he continue caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Recent Display

Liverpool's manager likely noticed the paradox of Salah's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck directly with the outside of his stronger foot into the front post, his eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run was from an nearly the same position to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden superb setup in the English top flight. Inquests into Salah's dip and the team's infrequent losing streak might also have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search continues while Slot fumes over a third consecutive loss on the road, a couple due to dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as Slot emphasized on recently, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was crucial in pushing the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown the previous term while uncertainty over his career lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Salah that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a noticeable decline on an individual and team level from then. The team, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Statistical Drop

His contribution in terms of scores and assists is lower 50% on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined eight in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to five, contributing to a sharp decline in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the same stage of last term, his numbers stay among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Team Display

Metrics of team performance will concern Slot more. Salah had seventy-six touches in the opposition penalty area in the first seven fixtures of the prior campaign. This term's count is 39. These figures are indicative of the squad's issues as a whole. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted more attempts on goal than them this season, but the team's proportion of shots from within the goal area is the poorest in the division, their percentage from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we primarily found the net from a special moment from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a set piece,” the manager said. “Now we have not seen as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play creates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't beating rivals in the manner Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board this summer, although the team are the division's third-best goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any boss in Liverpool's history (46). Consider what his attack will do when it does settle. The side remain a team of exceptional talent, capable of igniting and catching any foe for the championship, but cohesion is missing. This cannot be attributed on the new signings only.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the only established member to suffer a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté laboring. But he is at the center of the turmoil that has recently enveloped the club. That applies to a personal level, with his sadness over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant first game against Bournemouth. The influence of his loss can neither be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

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