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It's been some time, but the Egyptian star was back playing the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that confirmed the Egyptian team's position at the 2026 World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight another time. The Merseyside club require him to keep that position.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

We see many factors why unsteady, lackluster performances have been the recurring theme running through the team's opening to their title defence, if they produced seven straight victories or, prior to the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The upheaval from so many new signings, the coach's quest for his top team, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has endured the effect of them all during his atypically low-key opening to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's key fixture could deliver the impetus for the cause of a record 16 strikes in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are paying their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not triumphed at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create the manager with an additional unforeseen dilemma, though, should he continue lost in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Display

Liverpool's manager likely recognized the paradox of Salah's first goal against the opponent recently. Struck directly with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, his eighth score of the national team's qualification run was from an almost identical spot to his costly miss versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that right-foot effort been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising the new signing's first excellent assist in the English top flight. Discussions into his decline and the team's infrequent losing streak might also have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search continues while Slot broods over a third defeat away, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. “We brought almost the maximum out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a noticeable decrease on an personal and team level since. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

His contribution in terms of scores and setups is reduced 50% on the same point the previous term, from a total eight in the opening seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. His tally of shots has decreased from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a significant decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is his creativity. With twelve chances created, against fourteen at the same stage of last campaign, his numbers remain among the finest in the continent and up in the ranks of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Metrics of team display will trouble the coach additionally. Salah had 76 contacts in the opposition box in the opening seven league games of last season. The current campaign's count is thirty-nine. These figures are reflective of the team's issues as a whole. Only United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of shots on goal than them this season, but the team's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the lowest in the Premier League, their share from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is also among the weakest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a special moment from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a set piece,” the manager said. “This season we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play produces the most xG chances.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting opponents in the fashion the coach imagined when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, while the team remain the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any manager in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his forward line will do when it does settle. The side are still a team of supreme individual quality, capable of igniting and reeling in any rival for the title, but cohesion is missing. This cannot be attributed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Individual and Collective Problems

The player is not the sole established member to experience a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to form and the defender toiling. But he finds himself at the core of the turmoil that has lately affected the club. That extends to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the loss of Diogo Jota clear on that heartfelt season opener against the Cherries. The impact of his loss can not be assessed nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

Last season, he