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It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the main part last week with a double in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's position at the global tournament. The star taking center stage yet again. Liverpool require him to remain there.

Factors for Variable Displays

There are many reasons why variable, lackluster performances have been the frequent pattern running through Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they produced seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's quest for his top team, Diogo Jota's loss; the winger has experienced the effect of them all during his unusually subdued beginning to the term.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's showpiece occasion could provide the spark for the source of a record 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will create Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, though, if he stay lost in the upheaval indefinitely.

Current Display

Liverpool's boss must have noticed the contrast of Salah's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck immediately with the outside of his left foot into the close post, his eighth score of Egypt's qualifying effort originated from an almost identical location to his expensive error in the Chelsea match prior to the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been scored moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising the new signing's maiden superb setup in the English top flight. Analyses into his dip and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's wait goes on while the coach fumes over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on recently, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was crucial in propelling Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. We extracted nearly the best out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. There has been a clear decline on an personal and collective level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decline

His production in terms of scores and setups is down 50% on the corresponding stage the previous term, from a combined 8 in the first seven league games of last season to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. The count of shots has fallen from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have dropped from 15 to five, causing a steep fall in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, statistics show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With 12 key passes, compared with 14 at the comparable period of last term, his stats remain among the finest in Europe and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Output

Indicators of team output will worry Slot further. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition box in the initial seven league games of last season. The current campaign's tally is 39. The stats are reflective of the squad's problems overall. Just United and the Gunners have tried more attempts on goal than them now, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the top flight, their share from distance among the highest. The club's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we primarily scored from a special moment from an attacker and in the second half it was more from a dead ball,” the manager said. “This season we lack as numerous moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the side that from general play creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting rivals in the fashion the coach imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, although Liverpool remain the league's third-best goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point total in less games than any manager in Liverpool's history (forty-six). Consider what his offense will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding individual quality, capable of igniting and chasing any opponent for the championship, but synergy is lacking. That can not be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Collective Problems

Salah is not the sole senior member to suffer a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the core of the disruption that has lately enveloped Liverpool. This applies to a personal level, with Salah's sorrow over the loss of Diogo Jota evident on that heartfelt season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of Jota's death can not be assessed nor dismissed.

Strategic Shifts

Previously, he