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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the lead part recently with a brace in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's spot at the global tournament. The star taking the limelight yet again. The Merseyside club must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

There are numerous causes why inconsistent, unimpressive showings have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's start to their title defence, if they produced a winning streak or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The turmoil from numerous summer changes, the coach's hunt for his top team, the late forward's loss; the winger has endured the effect of them all during his atypically low-key opening to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

The weekend's big match could deliver the spark for the cause of a record 16 goals in 17 games for the club against United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. The attacker will pose the manager with another unexpected problem, however, should he stay lost in the turmoil for an extended period.

Recent Display

Liverpool's manager must have recognized the contrast of Salah's initial score against Djibouti recently. Drilled first time with the outside of his left foot inside the front post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an nearly the same spot to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the international break.

If that shot with his right been finished moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating the new signing's maiden excellent setup in the English top flight. Inquests into his dip and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might also have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's wait goes on while the coach fumes over a third loss on the road, two due to late goals and one the result of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on Friday, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was key in driving Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th crown last season while uncertainty over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. We extracted almost the maximum out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a obvious decline on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding point last season, from a total eight in the initial seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His tally of attempts has fallen from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a steep decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

One attribute that has held more steady is his creativity. With twelve opportunities made, versus fourteen at the equivalent point of the previous season, his stats stay among the finest in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Performance

Metrics of team performance will concern the coach further. He had seventy-six contacts in the enemy penalty area in the initial seven matches of the previous term. The current campaign's count is 39. The numbers are indicative of the team's issues in general. Just United and the Gunners have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than them now, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard box is the poorest in the division, their ratio from outside the area among the highest. The club's percentage of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we primarily found the net from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the second half it was more from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Now we have not seen as many moments of genius and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the side that from open play generates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not beating foes in the way the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, although Liverpool are the division's equal third-top scorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for Slot to attain the century of points in fewer games than any boss in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side remain a team of exceptional individual quality, capable of sparking and reeling in any opponent for the title, but unity is missing. That cannot be attributed on the new signings alone.

Individual and Collective Issues

Salah is not the sole key player to experience a dip, with the midfielder working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the center of the turmoil that has of late enveloped the club. This extends to a personal level, with his grief over the passing of Diogo Jota obvious on that emotional first game against the Cherries. The effect of his death can not be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he