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It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned playing the starring role last week with two goals in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's place at the global tournament. The main man taking center stage another time. The Reds must have him to stay there.

Factors for Inconsistent Displays

We see several reasons why inconsistent, unconvincing performances have been the common thread running through Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they achieved seven wins in a row or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Anfield on Sunday, a losing run. The disruption from so many offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, the late forward's tragic death; the winger has endured the consequences of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the campaign.

The Weekend's Big Match

Sunday's showpiece occasion could provide the impetus for the cause of a impressive 16 scores in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not succeeded at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will pose Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, however, should he stay caught in the disruption for an extended period.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's boss likely noticed the contrast of the player's first goal against Djibouti last Wednesday. Drilled directly with the exterior of his left foot inside the near post, his eighth score of Egypt's qualification run came from an nearly the same spot to his big mistake in the Chelsea match prior to the break for internationals.

If that shot with his right been scored moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden superb pass in the Premier League. Discussions into Salah's decline and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might as well have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search goes on while the coach fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, a couple due to dying-minute strikes and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Fine lines, as he reiterated on Friday, but they cannot hide underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was instrumental in propelling the side towards a tying 20th championship the previous term while uncertainty over his future lingered in the background. “We brought almost the maximum out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a clear drop-off on an individual and collective level since. The lineup, not the terms of a deal, are responsible.

Performance Drop

His output in terms of scores and setups is down 50% on the corresponding point the previous term, from a total eight in the initial seven fixtures of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to five, leading to a significant decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is Salah's creativity. With twelve key passes, versus 14 at the comparable period of the previous season, his figures stay among the top in Europe and comparable in the company of young talents and rising stars, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.

Team Performance

Indicators of team output will worry Slot more. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven fixtures of the prior campaign. The current campaign's count is 39. The numbers are symptomatic of the team's difficulties as a whole. Just United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than them in the current term, but the team's percentage of shots from within the six-yard box is the poorest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the highest. The club's rate of shots on target – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we mostly found the net from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was more from a set piece,” the manager said. “Currently we lack as numerous moments of genius and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from live action generates the highest quality opportunities.”

New Signings

They are not punishing rivals in the manner Slot envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board recently, though the team are the division's third-best goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in fewer games than any coach in the club's history (forty-six). Consider what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of supreme talent, able to starting and reeling in any foe for the championship, but cohesion is lacking. This can not be pinned on the new signings alone.

Personal and Collective Challenges

Salah is not the sole key member to suffer a drop-off, with the midfielder returning to form and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he ends up at the center of the disruption that has of late enveloped the club. This extends to a personal level, with his sorrow over the loss of Jota evident on that poignant first game against Bournemouth. The effect of his loss can not be assessed nor overlooked.

Tactical Adjustments

In the prior campaign, he