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It's been a period, but Liverpool's forward was back assuming the main part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that secured Egypt's place at the global tournament. The key player claiming the limelight yet again. The Merseyside club need him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Performances

There are several factors why inconsistent, lackluster performances have been the recurring theme defining the team's beginning to their championship defense, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from so many offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, the late forward's loss; Salah has endured the impact of them all during his atypically subdued start to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the spark for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for almost a decade. Salah will create the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, though, should he continue caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Form

The team's head coach likely seen the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent recently. Drilled first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same position to his expensive error versus Chelsea before the international break.

If that attempt been finished moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's first excellent setup in the league. Discussions into Salah's decline and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been postponed. Instead, Wirtz's search goes on while the coach stews over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple due to late goals and another the result of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as he emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Last Season's Influence

Salah was crucial in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown last season while speculation over his career rumbled in the background. “We brought almost the best out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is lower half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a total 8 in the first seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have fallen from fifteen to 5, contributing to a sharp drop in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is Salah's chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, versus 14 at the comparable period of last term, his numbers are among the best in the continent and comparable in the company of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Output

Indicators of team performance will trouble Slot more. He had 76 touches in the opposition penalty area in the opening seven fixtures of the previous term. The current campaign's count is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the squad's problems as a whole. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but the team's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard area is the lowest in the division, their percentage from long range among the top. The club's rate of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we primarily scored from a special moment from a forward and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we haven’t had as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from live action produces the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting rivals in the manner Slot envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board this summer, though Liverpool are the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the 100-point mark in less games than any boss in the club's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a squad of supreme skill, able to sparking and reeling in any foe for the title, but unity is missing. This can not be blamed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Personal and Team Challenges

The player is not the only senior player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to match sharpness and the defender toiling. But he is at the core of the disruption that has lately enveloped Liverpool. This extends to a personal level, with his grief over the loss of Jota obvious on that poignant season opener against the Cherries. The influence of Jota's tragedy can not be assessed nor dismissed.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he