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It has been a period, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the lead part recently with a brace in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's spot at the upcoming World Cup. The main man taking the spotlight another time. The Reds must have him to remain there.

Causes for Variable Performances

There exist numerous causes why inconsistent, lackluster performances have been the common thread characterizing the team's start to their league defense, if they achieved seven straight victories or, before Manchester United's visit to Anfield on the weekend, a losing run. The turmoil from numerous offseason moves, the coach's search for his best XI, Diogo Jota's loss; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his uncharacteristically subdued beginning to the term.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's key fixture could deliver the spark for the source of a record 16 strikes in 17 outings for the club against Manchester United, who are paying their 100th visit to Anfield and have not succeeded at their archrivals for almost a decade. Salah will present the manager with a further surprise issue, yet, should he remain lost in the disruption for an extended period.

Current Form

Liverpool's head coach must have recognized the paradox of Salah's first goal against the opponent last Wednesday. Swept first time with the outside of his stronger foot into the front post, Salah's eighth score of the national team's qualification run originated from an very similar location to his expensive error versus Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.

If that shot with his right been scored shortly after the resumption at Chelsea's ground we would still be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first excellent assist in the English top flight. Inquests into his drop and the team's unusual losing run might also have been delayed. Instead, the midfielder's search goes on while Slot broods over a third away defeat, two inflicted by late goals and one the result of a controversial spot-kick. Narrow differences, as he reiterated on recently, but they do not camouflage bigger issues.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was key in propelling Liverpool towards a historic 20th championship the prior campaign while speculation over his long-term plans rumbled in the backdrop. We achieved nearly the best out of Salah last term,” said the manager when his top scorer signed an extension in April. There has been a obvious decrease on an individual and team level since. The team, not the details of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Decrease

The 33-year-old's production in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the same stage last season, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and a couple of assists) this term. The count of shots has dropped from 22 to 12 while accurate shots have fallen from fifteen to 5, causing a steep fall in shot accuracy (not counting blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, figures show.

One attribute that has stayed stable is his creativity. With twelve key passes, compared with fourteen at the same stage of the previous season, his figures stay among the best in the continent and up in the company of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Collective Display

Measures of team performance will worry Slot further. He had 76 contacts in the opposition penalty area in the first seven matches of last season. This season's tally is 39. The stats are indicative of the team's difficulties as a whole. Just United and Arsenal have taken a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's rate of shots from within the six-yard box is the lowest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the top. The club's rate of efforts on goal – 28.4 percent – is also among the lowest in the competition.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mainly scored from a moment of magic from a forward and in the later stage it was mostly from a set piece,” Slot said. “Currently we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the side that from live action creates the highest expected goals opportunities.”

Recent Additions

They are not hurting foes in the way the coach envisaged when Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were brought on board recently, while the team are the division's third-best goalscorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for him to reach the century of points in less games than any manager in the club's history (forty-six). Imagine what his attack will do when it does settle. Liverpool remain a team of outstanding talent, capable of sparking and reeling in any rival for the championship, but cohesion is absent. This can not be pinned on the recent arrivals only.

Individual and Collective Challenges

The player is not the sole key player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to fitness and Ibrahima Konaté struggling. But he finds himself at the heart of the turmoil that has lately enveloped the club. This goes to a personal level, with his sorrow over the loss of Jota obvious on that heartfelt first game against Bournemouth. The influence of his tragedy can neither be measured nor overlooked.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he