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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah was back playing the main part in recent days with two goals in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The star stepping on the spotlight another time. Liverpool need him to keep that position.

Causes for Variable Showings

There exist several reasons why variable, unconvincing showings have been the frequent pattern defining Liverpool's beginning to their title defence, whether they recorded seven straight victories or, prior to the Red Devils' arrival to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from so many new signings, Arne Slot's search for his ideal lineup, Diogo Jota's passing; the winger has endured the effect of them all during his uncharacteristically low-key beginning to the season.

The Weekend's Big Match

The weekend's big match could offer the catalyst for the origin of a record 16 strikes in 17 games for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will pose the manager with another unexpected problem, however, if he continue lost in the turmoil for an extended period.

Latest Display

Liverpool's manager must have recognized the irony of the player's opening strike against Djibouti last Wednesday. Swept immediately with the exterior of his left foot inside the front post, his eighth goal of Egypt's qualification run came from an almost identical position to his big mistake in the Chelsea match before the international break.

Had that attempt been converted shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be praising the new signing's maiden sublime pass in the Premier League. Analyses into his dip and Liverpool's infrequent losing run might also have been avoided. Rather, the midfielder's search persists while Slot stews over a third consecutive loss on the road, two caused by late goals and another the result of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as Slot repeated on Friday, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Last Season's Contribution

Salah was instrumental in driving Liverpool towards a historic 20th championship last season while doubt over his future lingered in the background. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Mo last term,” said the manager when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in April. There has been a clear drop-off on an personal and team level from then. The team, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.

Performance Drop

The 33-year-old's contribution in terms of scores and setups is reduced 50% on the same stage the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has fallen from 22 to twelve while efforts on goal have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a steep decline in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, statistics show.

One attribute that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 chances created, versus fourteen at the same stage of last campaign, his stats remain among the finest in Europe and comparable in the group of young talents and Arda Güler, his juniors by 15 and thirteen years each.

Collective Output

Metrics of collective display will worry the coach further. Salah had 76 touches in the opposition box in the opening seven league games of last season. This term's tally is 39. These figures are reflective of the squad's issues in general. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have tried a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but the team's percentage of attempts from within the six-yard box is the lowest in the Premier League, their percentage from distance among the greatest. Liverpool's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is as well among the poorest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we primarily found the net from a special moment from one of our front three and in the later stage it was more from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Currently we haven’t had as numerous moments of genius and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are still the side that from live action creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't hurting rivals in the manner the coach imagined when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and the Swedish striker were acquired in the offseason, while Liverpool remain the division's equal third-top scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to attain the 100-point mark in less games than any boss in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Imagine what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a team of outstanding skill, able to sparking and catching any opponent for the title, but unity is lacking. That cannot be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the sole established member to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister working his way back to match sharpness and the defender toiling. But he is at the heart of the upheaval that has lately engulfed Liverpool. This applies to a personal level, with his sadness over the death of Jota clear on that poignant season opener against Bournemouth. The effect of Jota's tragedy can neither be assessed nor overlooked.

Strategic Changes

Last season, he