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It has been some time, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the main part in recent days with two goals in Casablanca that sealed the Egyptian team's position at the 2026 World Cup. The star claiming center stage another time. The Reds need him to remain there.

Factors for Unsteady Performances

There exist numerous causes why inconsistent, unimpressive performances have been the common thread characterizing the team's opening to their title defence, whether they produced seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' arrival to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The upheaval from so many offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his top team, the late forward's passing; Salah has experienced the consequences of them all during his atypically quiet opening to the season.

Sunday's Big Match

Sunday's big match could deliver the catalyst for the origin of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will present Slot with an additional surprise issue, yet, if he continue caught in the disruption for an extended period.

Current Form

Liverpool's head coach likely seen the paradox of Salah's opening strike against the opponent in midweek. Struck directly with the exterior of his stronger foot into the front post, his eighth goal of Egypt's qualifying effort originated from an almost identical location to his big mistake versus Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that shot with his right been finished shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising the new signing's first superb assist in the Premier League. Discussions into his decline and Liverpool's unusual defeat streak might as well have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's wait goes on while Slot broods over a third away defeat, a couple due to dying-minute strikes and another the result of a disputed penalty. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was crucial in driving the side towards a tying 20th crown last season while doubt over his long-term plans persisted in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the best out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed an extension in the spring. We have seen a obvious drop-off on an personal and collective level from then. The team, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Decline

His output in terms of scores and assists is reduced 50% on the corresponding point the previous term, from a combined eight in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of shots has fallen from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have dropped from 15 to 5, contributing to a sharp decline in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is Salah's playmaking. With twelve key passes, versus 14 at the same stage of last term, his numbers stay among the finest in the continent and comparable in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Metrics of team output will concern the coach more. Salah had seventy-six touches in the enemy box in the initial seven fixtures of the prior campaign. This term's tally is 39. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have tried more attempts on goal than them in the current term, but the team's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard area is the smallest in the division, their percentage from outside the area among the highest. The club's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is also among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly scored from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the later stage it was mostly from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “Now we lack as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the team that from live action creates the most expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They aren't punishing rivals in the way the coach envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed recently, although Liverpool remain the division's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for him to reach the 100-point total in less games than any boss in Liverpool's history (46). Think what his offense will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of exceptional skill, able to igniting and chasing any rival for the title, but synergy is lacking. That cannot be blamed on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Collective Problems

Salah is not the sole established member to experience a drop-off, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and the defender struggling. But he finds himself at the core of the turmoil that has lately enveloped the club. That applies to a personal level, with his grief over the passing of Diogo Jota evident on that emotional opening night against the Cherries. The impact of his tragedy can not be quantified nor ignored.

Strategic Shifts

In the prior campaign, he