🔗 Share this article

It has been a while, but Mohamed Salah reappeared assuming the main part recently with a double in Morocco that sealed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight once more. The Merseyside club require him to remain there.

Factors for Variable Showings

There exist many reasons why variable, unimpressive performances have been the frequent pattern running through the team's start to their league defense, if they produced seven straight victories or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The upheaval from multiple new signings, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's tragic death; the winger has endured the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet opening to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could provide the catalyst for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not succeeded at their biggest foes for more than nine years. Salah will pose the manager with another unforeseen dilemma, however, should he remain lost in the upheaval for an extended period.

Latest Form

The team's manager likely noticed the irony of Salah's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Drilled immediately with the outside of his left foot inside the front post, his eighth score of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an almost identical location to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been scored moments after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first sublime setup in the Premier League. Inquests into his decline and Liverpool's rare defeat streak might as well have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's wait persists while Slot fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple inflicted by last-minute winners and one the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while doubt over his future persisted in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the best out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a clear decrease on an individual and collective level from then. The team, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Drop

His output in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a combined eight in the first seven matches of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have declined from fifteen to 5, leading to a sharp drop in conversion rate (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is his chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, versus fourteen at the same stage of last campaign, his numbers are among the finest in Europe and up in the company of young talents and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years each.

Team Performance

Measures of team output will trouble Slot more. He had 76 touches in the enemy penalty area in the initial seven league games of last season. The current campaign's total is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's issues overall. Only Manchester United and Arsenal have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than them in the current term, but the team's proportion of attempts from inside the six-yard area is the lowest in the top flight, their ratio from long range among the highest. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the lowest in the competition.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the second half it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Currently we haven’t had as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from open play creates the most xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not hurting opponents in the way Slot planned when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired recently, while Liverpool remain the league's joint third-highest goalscorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in less games than any boss in the club's past (46). Think what his attack will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of supreme skill, capable of sparking and catching any opponent for the title, but cohesion is absent. That can not be attributed on the recent arrivals by themselves.

Individual and Team Problems

The player is not the sole key member to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he ends up at the heart of the disruption that has recently enveloped Liverpool. This goes to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of his death can not be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Shifts

Last season, he