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It's been a while, but Liverpool's forward reappeared taking on the lead part recently with a double in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's place at the upcoming World Cup. The main man stepping on center stage yet again. The Reds require him to remain there.

Factors for Inconsistent Displays

We see several reasons why inconsistent, unconvincing displays have been the recurring theme characterizing the team's start to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, before Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The upheaval from multiple summer changes, the coach's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has endured the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically quiet start to the season.

Sunday's Key Fixture

The weekend's big match could deliver the catalyst for the source of a impressive 16 goals in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not triumphed at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will create Slot with another surprise issue, however, if he remain lost in the disruption indefinitely.

Current Performance

Liverpool's manager likely noticed the paradox of Salah's initial score against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth score of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an very similar position to his expensive error against Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that right-foot effort been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising the new signing's first excellent assist in the English top flight. Discussions into Salah's dip and the team's unusual losing run might also have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's search continues while Slot broods over a third defeat away, a couple caused by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as he emphasized on Friday, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was crucial in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th championship the previous term while doubt over his future persisted in the backdrop. “We brought almost the best out of Mo that campaign,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. There has been a noticeable decrease on an individual and collective level from then. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Drop

His production in terms of scores and setups is reduced half on the same point the prior campaign, from a total 8 in the first seven matches of last season to four (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. His number of shots has decreased from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have declined from 15 to five, contributing to a steep decline in shooting accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, data show.

A single trait that has remained consistent is his creativity. With 12 chances created, compared with 14 at the same stage of last term, his figures remain among the finest in Europe and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and 13 years respectively.

Team Output

Metrics of team display will concern Slot further. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven fixtures of last season. This season's count is thirty-nine. The numbers are symptomatic of the squad's difficulties in general. Only United and Arsenal have taken more shots on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the six-yard area is the smallest in the division, their percentage from outside the area among the top. Liverpool's proportion of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of last season we primarily scored from a special moment from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a free-kick or corner,” the manager said. “This season we haven’t had as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play produces the most expected goals opportunities.”

New Signings

They aren't hurting opponents in the fashion Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were signed this summer, while Liverpool stay the league's equal third-top scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any boss in the club's past (forty-six). Think what his attack will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a team of exceptional individual quality, capable of sparking and chasing any foe for the championship, but cohesion is lacking. This can not be pinned on the new signings alone.

Individual and Team Challenges

The player is not the sole senior member to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to form and the defender laboring. But he is at the center of the upheaval that has of late affected the club. That goes to a individual level, with Salah's sorrow over the death of Jota obvious on that emotional opening night against the Cherries. The influence of his death can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Adjustments

Last season, he