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It's been a period, but Mohamed Salah was back taking on the lead part recently with a brace in Casablanca that sealed Egypt's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight another time. Liverpool must have him to keep that position.

Factors for Variable Displays

There are several causes why inconsistent, lackluster showings have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they produced a winning streak or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous offseason moves, the coach's hunt for his top team, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has felt the consequences of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the campaign.

Sunday's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's big match could offer the impetus for the origin of a record 16 goals in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th appearance to the stadium and have not won at their biggest foes for more than nine years. The attacker will present Slot with another unexpected problem, though, if he stay lost in the upheaval indefinitely.

Latest Display

Liverpool's manager must have noticed the paradox of Salah's initial score against Djibouti last Wednesday. Struck immediately with the outside of his left foot into the close post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an very similar position to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the national team pause.

Had that shot with his right been finished moments after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising the new signing's first sublime pass in the Premier League. Analyses into Salah's dip and the team's rare defeat streak might also have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's wait persists while the coach stews over a third defeat away, two caused by last-minute winners and another the outcome of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as he repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.

Previous Campaign's Influence

The forward was instrumental in driving Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th championship the previous term while speculation over his long-term plans rumbled in the background. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a clear drop-off on an individual and team level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Statistical Drop

His contribution in terms of scores and setups is lower half on the same point last season, from a combined 8 in the initial seven fixtures of last season to four (two goals and two assists) this season. His tally of shots has decreased from 22 to 12 while shots on target have declined from 15 to five, leading to a significant drop in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, compared with fourteen at the equivalent point of the previous season, his numbers stay among the best in Europe and up in the company of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and 13 years each.

Team Output

Indicators of team output will trouble the coach further. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven league games of last season. This term's total is thirty-nine. These figures are reflective of the squad's problems overall. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the goal area is the poorest in the division, their ratio from outside the area among the top. Liverpool's proportion of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

“In the first half of last season we mostly scored from a special moment from a forward and in the second half it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “This season we lack as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the side that from open play creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not hurting rivals in the manner Slot imagined when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were acquired this summer, although Liverpool stay the league's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on the weekend would be sufficient for him to attain the 100-point total in less games than any coach in the club's past (46). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. Liverpool are still a squad of outstanding talent, equipped to starting and catching any opponent for the title, but unity is missing. That cannot be pinned on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Team Problems

Salah is not the sole key member to suffer a dip, with the midfielder regaining to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the center of the upheaval that has of late enveloped the club. That extends to a personal level, with Salah's sorrow over the death of Jota evident on that emotional first game against the Cherries. The effect of his loss can not be assessed nor ignored.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he