🔗 Share this article

It's been a period, but Mohamed Salah reappeared playing the starring role in recent days with two goals in Casablanca that secured the Egyptian team's spot at the 2026 World Cup. The star claiming the limelight yet again. The Reds require him to stay there.

Causes for Inconsistent Displays

There are numerous causes why inconsistent, lackluster performances have been the common thread characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, if they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous summer changes, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, the late forward's passing; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key start to the season.

The Weekend's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could deliver the catalyst for the cause of a record 16 scores in 17 outings for Liverpool against United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for over nine years. Salah will present Slot with another surprise issue, yet, should he remain caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Recent Form

The team's boss likely noticed the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent in midweek. Swept directly with the outside of his left foot into the near post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an nearly the same position to his big mistake against Chelsea before the international break.

If that shot with his right been finished shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would even now be celebrating Florian Wirtz's first excellent setup in the English top flight. Analyses into his drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might also have been postponed. Instead, the midfielder's search persists while Slot stews over a third defeat away, two inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the outcome of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as he emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

The forward was key in propelling Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while uncertainty over his long-term plans persisted in the background. We extracted nearly the best out of Salah this season,” said Slot when his leading striker signed a new two‑year contract in the spring. We have seen a noticeable decline on an personal and team level from then. The squad, not the details of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is down 50% on the same point the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven matches of last season to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. His tally of shots has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have fallen from 15 to 5, causing a significant fall in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A single trait that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With 12 key passes, against fourteen at the equivalent point of last campaign, his stats remain among the best in the continent and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Team Display

Indicators of team performance will concern Slot further. He had 76 contacts in the enemy penalty area in the first 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. Just United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but the team's proportion of attempts from within the six-yard box is the poorest in the Premier League, their ratio from outside the area among the greatest. Liverpool's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we mainly scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” Slot said. “Now we haven’t had as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from general play produces the most expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't hurting rivals in the fashion the coach planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired this summer, while Liverpool stay the division's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for him to attain the century of points in less games than any manager in Liverpool's past (46). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. Liverpool remain a team of exceptional talent, equipped to starting and catching any opponent for the championship, but cohesion is absent. This cannot be pinned on the new signings alone.

Personal and Team Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to fitness and the defender struggling. But he finds himself at the heart of the turmoil that has lately affected Liverpool. This extends to a personal level, with Salah's sadness over the death of Diogo Jota evident on that poignant first game against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's tragedy can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Shifts

Previously, he