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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the lead part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's position at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight yet again. The Merseyside club must have him to stay there.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

There are numerous reasons why variable, lackluster performances have been the common thread running through Liverpool's beginning to their championship defense, if they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's arrival to Anfield on the weekend, three losses in a row. The upheaval from numerous offseason moves, Arne Slot's search for his best XI, the late forward's loss; the winger has endured the impact of them all during his atypically quiet beginning to the campaign.

Sunday's Big Match

The weekend's showpiece occasion could offer the catalyst for the origin of a impressive 16 scores in 17 games for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to the stadium and have not triumphed at their biggest foes for more than nine years. Salah will pose Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, yet, should he continue caught in the upheaval for an extended period.

Latest Display

Liverpool's boss must have seen the irony of Salah's first goal against the opponent in midweek. Drilled first time with the exterior of his stronger foot into the close post, Salah's eighth goal of Egypt's qualifying effort was from an nearly the same position to his big mistake versus Chelsea before the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been converted shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be celebrating Florian Wirtz's maiden superb pass in the English top flight. Inquests into Salah's dip and Liverpool's rare losing run might also have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's wait goes on while Slot broods over a third away defeat, two inflicted by last-minute winners and another the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as he emphasized on recently, but they do not mask bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Impact

The forward was key in propelling the side towards a historic 20th championship the prior campaign while uncertainty over his career rumbled in the background. “We brought almost the utmost out of Mo this season,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in the spring. There has been a noticeable decrease on an personal and team level since. The squad, not the details of a contract, are to blame.

Performance Drop

His production in terms of goals and setups is reduced 50% on the corresponding stage last season, from a total eight in the initial seven league games of last season to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. The count of attempts has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while accurate shots have declined from 15 to 5, causing a sharp fall in shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6 percent, figures show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is Salah's creativity. With twelve chances created, versus 14 at the same stage of last campaign, his numbers remain among the best in the continent and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his younger counterparts by 15 and thirteen years each.

Team Display

Measures of team display will concern the coach further. Salah had seventy-six touches in the opposition penalty area in the opening seven fixtures of last season. The current campaign's total is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties in general. Only Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted a greater number of attempts on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's proportion of shots from within the six-yard box is the lowest in the division, their share from long range among the highest. Liverpool's proportion of shots on target – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of last season we primarily scored from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the second half it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “Now we haven’t had as numerous sparks of quality and we have not found the net from dead balls. But we are still the team that from open play generates the highest quality opportunities.”

Summer Arrivals

They are not beating rivals in the way the coach envisaged when Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were brought on board this summer, while the team are the league's third-best scorers. A draw on Sunday would be sufficient for Slot to achieve the 100-point mark in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's history (46). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool remain a squad of outstanding individual quality, capable of starting and reeling in any opponent for the championship, but cohesion is missing. That can not be attributed on the recent arrivals alone.

Individual and Team Challenges

Salah is not the sole senior player to suffer a decline, with the midfielder regaining to form and the defender toiling. But he ends up at the core of the upheaval that has recently affected Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with his sadness over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that poignant season opener against the Cherries. The effect of Jota's loss can neither be measured nor ignored.

Tactical Adjustments

Previously, he