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It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah reappeared taking on the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the global tournament. The key player stepping on center stage yet again. The Merseyside club need him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Performances

There exist several causes why variable, unconvincing displays have been the recurring theme running through Liverpool's start to their title defence, if they recorded seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, the coach's quest for his best XI, the late forward's passing; Salah has experienced the impact of them all during his unusually subdued start to the campaign.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's big match could provide the impetus for the source of a record 16 strikes in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for more than nine years. Salah will present the manager with another unforeseen dilemma, though, should he stay caught in the upheaval indefinitely.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's boss must have recognized the paradox of the player's opening strike against the opponent in midweek. Struck immediately with the exterior of his left foot into the near post, Salah's eighth strike of the national team's qualification run was from an nearly the same position to his expensive error in the Chelsea match prior to the international break.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising the new signing's maiden excellent pass in the league. Analyses into Salah's decline and Liverpool's unusual defeat streak might as well have been postponed. Instead, the midfielder's wait continues while the coach fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, two inflicted by late goals and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on Friday, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown the prior campaign while speculation over his long-term plans rumbled in the background. We extracted almost the best out of Salah that campaign,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a noticeable decline on an personal and collective level from then. The squad, not the terms of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is reduced 50% on the corresponding stage last season, from a combined eight in the initial seven fixtures of last season to four (two goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. The count of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from 15 to 5, contributing to a steep decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's creativity. With twelve key passes, against fourteen at the same stage of the previous season, his numbers are among the top in Europe and up in the group of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Display

Indicators of collective performance will worry Slot more. He had 76 touches in the opposition box in the first seven league games of the previous term. This term's count is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the team's issues as a whole. Only United and Arsenal have taken a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but the team's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the top flight, their share from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly scored from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Now we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from live action produces the most quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not hurting opponents in the fashion the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board in the offseason, though the team are the division's equal third-top scorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for him to attain the century of points in less games than any boss in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side are still a team of exceptional skill, capable of sparking and catching any foe for the championship, but unity is missing. That can not be attributed on the summer recruits alone.

Personal and Team Problems

The player is not the sole key member to experience a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the heart of the turmoil that has of late affected the club. This goes to a personal level, with his grief over the passing of Diogo Jota obvious on that heartfelt first game against Bournemouth. The impact of Jota's tragedy can not be measured nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

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