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It's been a while, but the Egyptian star returned playing the main part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that sealed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The key player claiming the limelight once more. The Reds must have him to stay there.

Reasons for Unsteady Performances

We see many factors why variable, unimpressive performances have been the common thread characterizing the team's opening to their championship defense, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on the weekend, a losing run. The turmoil from multiple new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his unusually low-key beginning to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could offer the catalyst for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 games for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will pose the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, yet, should he remain caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Recent Performance

The team's head coach must have seen the contrast of Salah's initial score against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept immediately with the outside of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's qualifying effort came from an very similar spot to his costly miss versus Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be praising the new signing's maiden superb assist in the league. Inquests into Salah's decline and the team's rare losing streak might also have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while Slot broods over a third defeat away, a couple caused by late goals and one the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was crucial in propelling Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th crown last season while uncertainty over his future lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Salah this season,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a clear drop-off on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and setups is lower half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this season. The count of shots has dropped from twenty-two to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from 15 to five, leading to a significant decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is his chance creation. With twelve key passes, against fourteen at the equivalent point of last term, his numbers are among the finest in the continent and up in the ranks of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Team Display

Metrics of team performance will trouble Slot more. He had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the first seven matches of the prior campaign. This term's tally is 39. These figures are reflective of the team's difficulties overall. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have attempted more attempts on goal than them in the current term, but the team's proportion of attempts from inside the goal area is the smallest in the Premier League, their share from outside the area among the top. Liverpool's percentage of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “This season we have not seen as numerous acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action generates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not hurting rivals in the way the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were brought on board in the offseason, while the team are the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. The side remain a team of supreme individual quality, equipped to starting and catching any foe for the championship, but synergy is lacking. This can not be attributed on the summer recruits only.

Personal and Collective Issues

The player is not the sole key member to experience a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he is at the core of the disruption that has of late affected Liverpool. That applies to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of Jota's death can not be quantified nor overlooked.

Strategic Shifts

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