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It's been a period, but Mohamed Salah reappeared taking on the lead part recently with two goals in Casablanca that secured Egypt's spot at the global tournament. The star claiming the limelight another time. The Reds need him to remain there.

Factors for Variable Performances

There exist several factors why variable, lackluster showings have been the frequent pattern running through the team's start to their title defence, if they produced a winning streak or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from numerous new signings, the coach's quest for his best XI, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has felt the consequences of them all during his atypically quiet opening to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could offer the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 strikes in 17 outings for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with another surprise issue, however, should he remain caught in the disruption indefinitely.

Recent Performance

Liverpool's head coach must have seen the paradox of the player's initial score against Djibouti recently. Struck immediately with the outside of his stronger foot into the near post, his eighth score of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an very similar spot to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising the new signing's maiden excellent assist in the Premier League. Discussions into his dip and the team's rare losing streak might also have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's search continues while Slot broods over a third consecutive loss on the road, two caused by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Fine lines, as he emphasized on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

Salah was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th championship the prior campaign while speculation over his career persisted in the background. We achieved almost the utmost out of Salah this season,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a obvious drop-off on an personal and team level from then. The squad, not the terms of a contract, are accountable.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a total eight in the first seven matches of last season to four (two goals and two assists) this term. His tally of shots has fallen from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to five, contributing to a sharp drop in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's chance creation. With 12 key passes, against 14 at the comparable period of the previous season, his numbers stay among the top in Europe and up in the ranks of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Team Output

Indicators of team performance will trouble the coach more. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the enemy box in the initial seven matches of the previous term. This term's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the team's problems in general. Just United and the Gunners have taken a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their ratio from outside the area among the greatest. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mostly scored from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was more from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Currently 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 general play produces the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting opponents in the way Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were signed in the offseason, though the team stay the division's equal third-top scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for him to achieve the 100-point mark in fewer games than any boss in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it does settle. Liverpool remain a team of supreme talent, equipped to starting and chasing any foe for the title, but cohesion is lacking. This cannot be pinned on the summer recruits by themselves.

Personal and Collective Problems

The player is not the only senior player to suffer a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he is at the core of the upheaval that has lately affected Liverpool. That applies to a individual level, with his grief over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional season opener against the Cherries. The influence of his loss can neither be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he