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It's been some time, but the Egyptian star was back assuming the lead part in recent days with a double in Casablanca that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The main man taking center stage yet again. The Reds require him to stay there.

Factors for Variable Displays

There exist numerous factors why inconsistent, lackluster displays have been the frequent pattern characterizing the team's opening to their league defense, whether they achieved a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has experienced the effect of them all during his atypically subdued start to the term.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's big match could provide the catalyst for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will pose Slot with a further unforeseen dilemma, yet, if he continue lost in the upheaval for an extended period.

Current Performance

The team's boss likely seen the paradox of Salah's initial score against Djibouti recently. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an nearly the same location to his expensive error versus Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

If that shot with his right been converted shortly after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first superb setup in the league. Discussions into his drop and the team's unusual losing run might as well have been avoided. Rather, Wirtz's wait continues while Slot fumes over a third consecutive loss on the road, two caused by last-minute winners and one the result of a controversial spot-kick. Small margins, as he emphasized on recently, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was instrumental in propelling Liverpool towards a tying 20th crown last season while uncertainty over his long-term plans persisted in the background. We achieved almost the utmost 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 noticeable decline on an personal and collective level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are to blame.

Performance Drop

His output in terms of scores and assists is down 50% on the same stage the previous term, from a total eight in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) this season. His tally of shots has fallen from 22 to 12 while shots on target have fallen from fifteen to five, leading to a steep decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is his creativity. With 12 chances created, against 14 at the comparable period of last term, his numbers are among the best in Europe and up in the company of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years each.

Team Output

Indicators of collective output will worry Slot more. He had seventy-six contacts in the enemy penalty area in the opening seven fixtures of last season. The current campaign's count is thirty-nine. The stats are reflective of the squad's problems as a whole. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's rate of shots from within the six-yard area is the poorest in the division, their percentage from long range among the greatest. The club's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly scored from a special moment from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we haven’t had 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 xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not beating rivals in the fashion the coach envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were brought on board in the offseason, although the team stay the league's equal third-top goalscorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for Slot to reach the 100-point mark in less games than any manager in the club's history (46). Think what his offense will do when it does settle. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding individual quality, capable of sparking and catching any rival for the title, but unity is absent. That cannot be attributed on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the only senior player to suffer a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he is at the center of the turmoil that has recently enveloped the club. That applies to a personal level, with Salah's sorrow over the passing of Jota evident on that heartfelt season opener against the Cherries. The influence of Jota's death can not be quantified nor overlooked.

Strategic Changes

Previously, he