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It has been some time, but the Egyptian star reappeared playing the lead part in recent days with a double in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on center stage once more. The Reds need him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Performances

We see numerous reasons why unsteady, unimpressive showings have been the recurring theme running through Liverpool's start to their championship defense, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, a losing run. The upheaval from numerous offseason moves, the coach's quest for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has endured the impact of them all during his atypically subdued opening to the term.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's key fixture could offer the spark for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 games for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to the stadium and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with another unforeseen dilemma, though, if he continue lost in the turmoil indefinitely.

Recent Performance

Liverpool's head coach must have recognized the contrast of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Drilled immediately with the outside of his left foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run originated from an almost identical position to his costly miss against Chelsea before the national team pause.

If that attempt been scored moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising the new signing's maiden sublime setup in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and the team's rare losing streak might also have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while the coach fumes over a third consecutive away defeat, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as Slot reiterated on recently, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Influence

Salah was crucial in pushing Liverpool towards a historic 20th crown the prior campaign while doubt over his long-term plans lingered in the backdrop. We extracted almost the utmost out of Salah this season,” said the manager when his top scorer signed an extension in April. There has been a clear drop-off on an individual and team level since. The lineup, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of goals and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a combined eight in the opening seven league games of last season to four (a pair of goals and two assists) this season. The count of shots has dropped from 22 to 12 while efforts on goal have declined from fifteen to 5, contributing to a sharp fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With twelve chances created, versus fourteen at the equivalent point of last term, his figures stay among the best in the continent and comparable in the ranks of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Display

Metrics of team display will concern Slot further. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven league games of last season. This term's total is thirty-nine. The stats are indicative of the squad's difficulties in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but the team's proportion of shots from within the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their share from long range among the highest. The club's percentage of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from general play generates the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't beating foes in the way Slot imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed recently, although the team are the league's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in less games than any coach in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a team of supreme skill, able to igniting and catching any rival for the championship, but synergy is missing. This can not be pinned on the summer recruits alone.

Personal and Collective Problems

Salah is not the sole established player to experience a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and the defender toiling. But he finds himself at the core of the upheaval that has lately engulfed the club. This goes to a personal level, with his sorrow over the loss of Jota evident on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The effect of his death can not be quantified nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he