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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward was back assuming the starring role recently with a brace in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The star taking the limelight another time. The Merseyside club need him to stay there.

Causes for Unsteady Displays

There are many causes why unsteady, unconvincing showings have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's beginning to their league defense, whether they produced seven straight victories or, prior to Manchester United's visit to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The upheaval from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his top team, the late forward's loss; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet opening to the term.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the impetus for the source of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will create the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, yet, if he stay lost in the upheaval much longer.

Current Display

The team's boss must have seen the irony of Salah's first goal against Djibouti in midweek. Swept immediately with the exterior of his left foot into the near post, his eighth strike of the national team's qualification run came from an almost identical spot to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

If that right-foot effort been finished moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first superb setup in the Premier League. Analyses into his drop and the team's unusual defeat streak might also have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's search continues while the coach broods over a third defeat away, a couple inflicted by late goals and another the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was crucial in driving the side towards a tying 20th crown the prior campaign while doubt over his future lingered in the background. We extracted almost the maximum out of Mo that campaign,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decrease on an individual and team level from then. The lineup, not the details of a contract, are to blame.

Performance Decline

His contribution in terms of scores and assists is down half on the same stage last season, from a combined eight in the opening seven fixtures of last season to four (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have fallen from 15 to five, leading to a sharp fall in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With 12 key passes, against 14 at the comparable period of last term, his stats stay among the finest in Europe and comparable in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Team Output

Measures of collective output will worry Slot further. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition box in the first seven fixtures of the previous term. The current campaign's count is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the squad's issues overall. Just United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but the team's rate of shots from inside the six-yard area is the smallest in the top flight, their share from distance among the highest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the weakest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” 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 nonetheless the team that from general play creates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They aren't hurting foes in the way the coach planned when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board this summer, though the team remain the league's third-best scorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in the club's past (46). Think what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side are still a squad of outstanding individual quality, capable of igniting and catching any foe for the title, but cohesion is missing. This cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and the defender laboring. But he is at the core of the disruption that has lately affected Liverpool. This extends to a individual level, with Salah's sorrow over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's death can neither be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

In the prior campaign, he