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It's been a period, but Mohamed Salah reappeared playing the starring role in recent days with two goals in Morocco that confirmed the Egyptian team's position at the global tournament. The main man claiming the spotlight another time. Liverpool need him to keep that position.

Reasons for Inconsistent Showings

There exist numerous reasons why inconsistent, lackluster displays have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their league defense, if they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has experienced the impact of them all during his atypically subdued beginning to the season.

Sunday's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could deliver the impetus for the cause of a record 16 goals in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th appearance to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will pose the manager with a further unforeseen dilemma, yet, should he continue caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Recent Display

Liverpool's head coach likely recognized the contrast of the player's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept immediately with the outside of his stronger foot into the near post, his eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run was from an nearly the same spot to his big mistake in the Chelsea match before the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been finished shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime setup in the Premier League. Inquests into his dip and Liverpool's infrequent defeat streak might as well have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while Slot stews over a third defeat away, two caused by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as Slot emphasized on Friday, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was key in propelling Liverpool towards a tying 20th league title the previous term while uncertainty over his future lingered in the backdrop. We extracted almost the best out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his main attacker signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a obvious drop-off on an individual and collective level from then. The team, not the terms of a contract, are responsible.

Statistical Decline

His contribution in terms of goals and setups is lower half on the corresponding point last season, from a combined 8 in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) this season. The count of shots has dropped from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to five, leading to a significant fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is his chance creation. With twelve key passes, versus 14 at the comparable period of last term, his figures remain among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Output

Metrics of collective display will trouble Slot additionally. He had 76 contacts in the opposition box in the initial seven league games of last season. This season's count is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the squad's difficulties as a whole. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's proportion of attempts from within the goal area is the smallest in the top flight, their ratio from distance among the highest. Liverpool's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we primarily found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “This season we have not seen as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the team that from general play generates the highest xG chances.”

New Signings

They aren't punishing opponents in the fashion Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were signed recently, while Liverpool stay the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the century of points in less games than any boss in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme individual quality, capable of igniting and catching any opponent for the title, but unity is absent. That cannot be blamed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Personal and Team Issues

The player is not the sole key player to experience a dip, with the midfielder returning to form and the defender toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has lately engulfed the club. That extends to a individual level, with his sadness over the death of Jota evident on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The influence of his loss can neither be measured nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

Previously, he