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It has been some time, but Liverpool's forward was back assuming the starring role recently with a double in Morocco that confirmed Egypt's place at the global tournament. The star stepping on center stage once more. The Reds need him to stay there.

Factors for Variable Performances

We see many reasons why unsteady, lackluster displays have been the recurring theme characterizing Liverpool's start to their title defence, whether they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's visit to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, a losing run. The turmoil from numerous new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's loss; Salah has endured the impact of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the impetus for the origin of a impressive 16 goals in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for more than nine years. The attacker will pose the manager with an additional unforeseen dilemma, though, if he continue caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Recent Form

Liverpool's head coach likely recognized the paradox of the player's opening strike against Djibouti in midweek. Drilled directly with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the close post, Salah's eighth strike of Egypt's qualification run came from an nearly the same position to his costly miss versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that attempt been finished shortly after the resumption at Stamford Bridge we would still be eulogising the new signing's maiden sublime setup in the league. Analyses into Salah's drop and Liverpool's infrequent losing streak might as well have been avoided. Instead, Wirtz's search goes on while Slot stews over a third defeat away, two caused by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as he repeated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was key in propelling the side towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while speculation over his career rumbled in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the maximum out of Mo last term,” said the manager when his top scorer signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a noticeable decrease on an individual and collective level from then. The squad, not the details of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and assists is lower 50% on the same point last season, from a combined eight in the initial seven fixtures of 2024-25 to four (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of attempts has fallen from 22 to twelve while shots on target have fallen from 15 to five, causing a sharp drop in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 opportunities made, against 14 at the same stage of last campaign, his stats stay among the best in the continent and up in the group of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Indicators of collective display will concern the coach additionally. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition penalty area in the initial seven matches of the prior campaign. The current campaign's tally is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the squad's issues as a whole. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have taken more shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's percentage of attempts from within the goal area is the lowest in the division, their share from long range among the greatest. Liverpool's rate of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is as well among the lowest in the competition.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mostly scored from a special moment from one of our front three and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Now we haven’t had as many moments of genius and we haven’t scored from dead balls. But we are still the side that from live action produces the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting foes in the way the coach envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired in the offseason, while the team remain the league's joint third-highest scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for him to achieve the 100-point total in fewer games than any coach in the club's history (46). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding individual quality, able to starting and catching any rival for the title, but cohesion is absent. That can not be blamed on the new signings alone.

Personal and Team Challenges

The player is not the sole senior member to experience a dip, with the midfielder regaining to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he ends up at the center of the turmoil that has of late affected Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with his grief over the death of Jota obvious on that heartfelt first game against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's tragedy can neither be quantified nor dismissed.

Tactical Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he