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It's been a period, but the Egyptian star reappeared playing the starring role last week with two goals in Casablanca that confirmed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The star taking center stage yet again. Liverpool need him to remain there.

Causes for Unsteady Displays

We see numerous reasons why inconsistent, lackluster performances have been the recurring theme defining the team's beginning to their championship defense, whether they produced seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from so many new signings, Arne Slot's search for his top team, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has felt the consequences of them all during his unusually low-key opening to the campaign.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the catalyst for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for almost a decade. The attacker will present Slot with another unexpected problem, yet, if he stay caught in the upheaval much longer.

Recent Form

The team's head coach must have recognized the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his left foot into the near post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign was from an nearly the same location to his expensive error in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

If that attempt been finished moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising the new signing's first excellent setup in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and Liverpool's infrequent losing streak might also have been postponed. Rather, Wirtz's search goes on while the coach stews over a third away defeat, two due to late goals and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not mask larger problems.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was instrumental in driving Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the prior campaign while doubt over his career rumbled in the background. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in the spring. We have seen a clear drop-off on an personal and team level from then. The lineup, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding point last season, from a total eight in the first seven league games of last season to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His number of attempts has fallen from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have fallen from fifteen to 5, leading to a significant fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

A single trait that has held more steady is his creativity. With twelve chances created, versus 14 at the equivalent point of the previous season, his numbers are among the top in Europe and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Collective Display

Measures of team display will concern the coach further. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven matches of the previous term. The current campaign's count is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the team's difficulties overall. Only United and the Gunners have tried 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 box is the lowest in the division, their percentage from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we primarily scored from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “This season we haven’t had as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action generates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting foes in the way Slot planned when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board in the offseason, while Liverpool are the division's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the century of points in fewer games than any coach in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Think what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a team of outstanding talent, equipped to sparking and catching any foe for the championship, but unity is absent. This cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Individual and Collective Problems

The player is not the sole senior member to experience a decline, with the midfielder regaining to fitness and the defender struggling. But he finds himself at the center of the upheaval that has of late affected the club. This applies to a personal level, with his sadness over the death of Jota evident on that heartfelt first game against Bournemouth. The effect of his death can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Shifts

Previously, he