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It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the starring role in recent days with a double in Morocco that sealed Egypt's position at the 2026 World Cup. The key player claiming the spotlight once more. The Reds must have him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Showings

We see many causes why unsteady, unimpressive displays have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's opening to their league defense, whether they produced a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The turmoil from multiple new signings, the coach's hunt for his best XI, Diogo Jota's loss; the winger has endured the impact of them all during his atypically low-key start to the term.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to the stadium and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for over nine years. Salah will present Slot with a further surprise issue, though, if he continue lost in the disruption indefinitely.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's boss likely seen the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent in midweek. Drilled immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an very similar location to his big mistake in the Chelsea match before the national team pause.

Had that attempt been finished moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first sublime setup in the league. Analyses into Salah's dip and the team's rare losing streak might also have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's wait goes on while the coach broods over a third away defeat, a couple inflicted by last-minute winners and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

Salah was key in propelling Liverpool towards a tying 20th championship last season while uncertainty over his future lingered in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a noticeable decline on an individual and collective level from then. The team, not the details of a contract, are responsible.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of goals and assists is down 50% on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven matches of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of attempts has dropped from 22 to 12 while shots on target have dropped from fifteen to 5, leading to a steep fall in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is Salah's playmaking. With 12 key passes, compared with 14 at the equivalent point of the previous season, his stats remain among the top in the continent and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Performance

Indicators of collective output will worry Slot further. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven league games of last season. This season's tally is thirty-nine. The stats are symptomatic of the team's issues in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken a greater number of attempts on goal than them now, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the division, their ratio from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is as well among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Currently we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from open play creates the most quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not punishing foes in the way the coach envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, while the team are the division's equal third-top scorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for Slot to achieve the century of points in less games than any manager in Liverpool's history (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it does settle. The side remain a squad of exceptional individual quality, able to starting and chasing any opponent for the championship, but unity is lacking. This cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Collective Issues

The player is not the only key player to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has of late affected Liverpool. This applies to a individual level, with Salah's sorrow over the death of Jota clear on that emotional season opener against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's tragedy can neither be assessed nor ignored.

Strategic Adjustments

Last season, he