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It's been a while, but the Egyptian star was back playing the starring role last week with a brace in Casablanca that secured Egypt's position at the global tournament. The key player taking the limelight once more. The Reds need him to keep that position.

Reasons for Inconsistent Performances

We see several factors why inconsistent, lackluster displays have been the common thread defining Liverpool's start to their league defense, whether they produced seven straight victories or, before the Red Devils' visit to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from so many offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has felt the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's key fixture could deliver the spark for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose the manager with an additional surprise issue, however, should he stay caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Latest Display

The team's boss likely recognized the contrast of the player's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an nearly the same location to his expensive error versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been scored shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's maiden sublime setup in the English top flight. Inquests into Salah's dip and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been postponed. Rather, the midfielder's search goes on while the coach broods over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple inflicted by late goals and another the result of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was key in propelling the side towards a historic 20th championship the previous term while uncertainty over his long-term plans persisted in the background. We achieved almost the maximum out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a clear decrease on an individual and collective level since. The team, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Decrease

His output in terms of goals and assists is lower 50% on the same point the previous term, from a combined 8 in the first seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. His number of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have dropped from 15 to 5, contributing to a steep drop in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has held more steady is his playmaking. With 12 chances created, against fourteen at the equivalent point of last term, his figures remain among the top in the continent and comparable in the company of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Metrics of team output will worry Slot additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. This term's tally is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the team's problems in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have taken more shots on goal than them now, but the team's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the poorest in the division, their ratio from long range among the highest. The club's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4% – is as well among the weakest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from a moment of magic from an attacker and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Now we lack as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from open play creates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing opponents in the manner Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, while the team are the league's third-best scorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to attain the 100-point total in fewer games than any manager in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his offense will do when it finally gels. The side are still a team of supreme talent, equipped to starting and reeling in any opponent for the title, but cohesion is absent. That can not be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the only senior player to experience a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the core of the disruption that has lately affected the club. That extends to a individual level, with Salah's sadness over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that emotional opening night against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's loss can not be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

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