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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the starring role in recent days with a double in Morocco that secured Egypt's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on the spotlight yet again. Liverpool require him to stay there.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

We see several causes why unsteady, lackluster showings have been the common thread running through the team's beginning to their title defence, if they achieved a winning streak or, before the Red Devils' trip to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The turmoil from numerous new signings, the coach's hunt for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's tragic death; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the season.

The Weekend's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could deliver the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to the stadium and have not triumphed at their archrivals for over nine years. Salah will create the manager with another surprise issue, however, should he remain caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Performance

Liverpool's head coach must have recognized the paradox of Salah's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled first time with the exterior of his left foot into the near post, his eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an almost identical spot to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been converted shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first sublime setup in the English top flight. Analyses into his drop and the team's rare defeat streak might also have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search persists while Slot broods over a third consecutive away defeat, two caused by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was key in driving the side towards a record-equalling 20th crown the previous term while uncertainty over his career lingered in the backdrop. We extracted almost the maximum out of Mo last term,” said the manager when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in April. We have seen a clear drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The team, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

The 33-year-old's production in terms of goals and setups is lower 50% on the same stage last season, from a total eight in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. The count of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to five, causing a sharp fall in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's chance creation. With twelve opportunities made, compared with 14 at the equivalent point of the previous season, his stats remain among the top in Europe and up in the group of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Performance

Indicators of team output will worry Slot additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven matches of last season. The current campaign's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the squad's problems overall. Just United and the Gunners have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the top flight, their share from outside the area among the top. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from one of our front three and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “This season we haven’t had as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from general play creates the highest xG chances.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not hurting foes in the way the coach envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, while the team are the league's third-best goalscorers. A draw on Sunday would be enough for Slot to reach the 100-point mark in less games than any manager in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side are still a team of exceptional skill, equipped to starting and chasing any foe for the championship, but synergy is missing. That can not be attributed on the new signings alone.

Personal and Team Problems

The player is not the only senior member to experience a decline, with the midfielder regaining to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the center of the upheaval that has lately affected Liverpool. This applies to a individual level, with Salah's grief over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional opening night against Bournemouth. The effect of Jota's tragedy can not be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Previously, he