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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the lead part last week with two goals in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's position at the upcoming World Cup. The star stepping on the limelight once more. The Merseyside club need him to keep that position.

Causes for Variable Performances

There are several causes why inconsistent, unconvincing showings have been the common thread defining Liverpool's start to their championship defense, whether they produced seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's quest for his best XI, the late forward's loss; Salah has endured the consequences of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the campaign.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not won at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will pose Slot with an additional unexpected problem, yet, should he continue caught in the upheaval indefinitely.

Recent Display

The team's manager likely seen the contrast of the player's initial score against Djibouti recently. Struck first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualification run originated from an nearly the same location to his big mistake against Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been converted moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising the new signing's first sublime assist in the Premier League. Inquests into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might also have been postponed. Rather, Wirtz's search persists while Slot stews over a third loss on the road, a couple due to last-minute winners and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on Friday, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Last Season's Impact

The forward was crucial in pushing the side towards a historic 20th championship last season while speculation over his long-term plans persisted in the background. “We brought almost the maximum out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his main attacker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a obvious decline on an individual and team level from then. The team, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Decline

His contribution in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the corresponding point last season, from a combined 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) this term. The count of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have fallen from fifteen to 5, leading to a steep fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's creativity. With 12 opportunities made, against 14 at the same stage of last campaign, his stats are among the best in Europe and comparable in the group of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Team Performance

Measures of collective output will trouble Slot more. Salah had 76 contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven matches of the previous term. The current campaign's count is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties in general. Just United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from within the goal area is the smallest in the division, their share from distance among the highest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mostly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot 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 side that from live action creates the most quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not hurting opponents in the manner Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were signed this summer, while the team are the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for him to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any boss in the club's past (46). Consider what his forward line will do when it finally gels. The side remain a team of supreme individual quality, equipped to starting and reeling in any opponent for the title, but synergy is missing. That can not be blamed on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the only key member to experience a drop-off, with the midfielder working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he is at the center of the turmoil that has recently enveloped the club. This applies to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the death of Diogo Jota obvious on that poignant first game against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's loss can not be measured nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Previously, he