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It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the starring role last week with two goals in Casablanca that secured Egypt's place at the upcoming World Cup. The star taking the spotlight yet again. Liverpool need him to stay there.

Causes for Unsteady Showings

There exist several causes why unsteady, lackluster showings have been the common thread defining Liverpool's start to their title defence, whether they produced seven straight victories or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from multiple summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his best XI, Diogo Jota's tragic death; Salah has felt the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key opening to the season.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's key fixture could provide the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 games for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for more than nine years. Salah will create Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, however, if he remain lost in the upheaval indefinitely.

Current Performance

Liverpool's manager must have recognized the contrast of Salah's opening strike against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar position to his expensive error against Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been finished shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating the new signing's first excellent setup in the league. Analyses into his drop and the team's unusual losing run might as well have been postponed. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while Slot fumes over a third away defeat, two caused by dying-minute strikes and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Small margins, as Slot repeated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was key in pushing the side towards a historic 20th league title the prior campaign while speculation over his future persisted in the backdrop. “We brought almost the maximum out of Salah this season,” said the manager when his main attacker signed an extension in April. There has been a obvious decline on an individual and team level since. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and assists is down half on the corresponding stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven fixtures of last season to four (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has dropped from twenty-two to 12 while accurate shots have fallen from fifteen to five, leading to a significant decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With 12 key passes, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last term, his numbers stay among the finest in the continent and up in the company of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Collective Performance

Indicators of collective output will worry the coach additionally. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. The current campaign's tally is 39. These figures are symptomatic of the team's problems in general. Only United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the smallest in the division, their share from long range among the highest. The club's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily scored from an individual brilliance from an attacker and in the second half it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we have not seen as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from general play generates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They aren't beating opponents in the way the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired in the offseason, although Liverpool are the league's equal third-top scorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the century of points in less games than any boss in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme talent, able to starting and reeling in any foe for the championship, but cohesion is absent. That can not be attributed on the summer recruits by themselves.

Individual and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the only key member to experience a decline, with the midfielder working his way back to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he is at the center of the upheaval that has of late affected the club. This goes to a individual level, with his sorrow over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant season opener against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's tragedy can not be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Shifts

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