🔗 Share this article

It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah reappeared playing the main part last week with two goals in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the global tournament. The star stepping on the limelight once more. Liverpool require him to stay there.

Factors for Variable Showings

We see several causes why variable, unconvincing showings have been the frequent pattern characterizing Liverpool's beginning to their league defense, whether they recorded seven wins in a row or, prior to the Red Devils' visit to Anfield on the weekend, three consecutive defeats. The disruption from multiple offseason moves, Arne Slot's hunt for his ideal lineup, the late forward's passing; Salah has felt the impact of them all during his atypically quiet start to the term.

Sunday's Key Fixture

Sunday's showpiece occasion could provide the spark for the source of a impressive 16 scores in 17 appearances for the club against United, who are paying their centenary trip to the stadium and have not won at their archrivals for over nine years. The attacker will create the manager with another unexpected problem, yet, if he remain caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Recent Display

The team's manager likely recognized the contrast of Salah's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept immediately with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth strike of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign originated from an almost identical position to his costly miss against Chelsea prior to the international break.

Had that attempt been scored moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden superb setup in the league. Analyses into his decline and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might as well have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's search goes on while the coach stews over a third defeat away, two due to last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Fine lines, as Slot emphasized on recently, but they cannot hide bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was crucial in propelling the side towards a tying 20th league title the prior campaign while uncertainty over his future persisted in the background. We achieved almost the maximum out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in April. There has been a noticeable decline on an personal and team level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are to blame.

Performance Decrease

His output in terms of scores and setups is reduced half on the same stage the prior campaign, from a total eight in the initial seven matches of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and a couple of assists) this season. The count of shots has decreased from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have dropped from 15 to 5, causing a sharp decline in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6 percent, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's playmaking. With 12 key passes, versus 14 at the equivalent point of last campaign, his figures are among the top in Europe and comparable in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by 15 and 13 years respectively.

Collective Performance

Measures of collective output will trouble the coach further. He had 76 touches in the enemy penalty area in the first seven league games of last season. This term's tally is 39. The numbers are indicative of the team's difficulties overall. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have tried more attempts on goal than Liverpool now, but Liverpool's percentage of shots from inside the goal area is the smallest in the Premier League, their percentage from distance among the top. The club's percentage of accurate shots – 28.4 percent – is also among the poorest in the competition.

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 second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” the manager said. “Now we have not seen as many sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are nonetheless the side that from general play creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They aren't punishing opponents in the manner Slot imagined when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, though Liverpool remain the division's equal third-top goalscorers. A tie on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to reach the century of points in fewer games than any boss in Liverpool's past (46). Imagine what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of exceptional talent, capable of igniting and catching any rival for the title, but synergy is missing. That cannot be blamed on the summer recruits alone.

Individual and Collective Challenges

The player is not the only key player to experience a drop-off, with the midfielder returning to fitness and the defender toiling. But he finds himself at the core of the turmoil that has of late affected the club. This goes to a individual level, with his sorrow over the death of Diogo Jota clear on that poignant opening night against the Cherries. The impact of his tragedy can not be quantified nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he