🔗 Share this article

It has been some time, but Mohamed Salah reappeared assuming the lead part in recent days with a brace in Morocco that sealed the Egyptian team's position at the global tournament. The star claiming the limelight once more. The Reds must have him to keep that position.

Reasons for Unsteady Displays

There exist several causes why unsteady, lackluster showings have been the common thread defining Liverpool's opening to their title defence, whether they achieved a winning streak or, prior to Manchester United's trip to Liverpool's home ground on Sunday, three losses in a row. The turmoil from multiple new signings, the coach's search for his best XI, the late forward's passing; the winger has felt the impact of them all during his atypically subdued start to the campaign.

The Weekend's Showpiece Occasion

The weekend's key fixture could offer the spark for the cause of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 outings for Liverpool against Manchester United, who are making their centenary trip to Anfield and have not won at their archrivals for over nine years. Salah will create Slot with an additional unforeseen dilemma, though, should he remain caught in the turmoil for an extended period.

Latest Performance

Liverpool's boss likely noticed the paradox of Salah's opening strike against Djibouti recently. Struck first time with the exterior of his stronger foot inside the near post, Salah's eighth goal of the national team's qualification run originated from an almost identical spot to his costly miss in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that right-foot effort been converted moments after the restart at Stamford Bridge we would still be praising Florian Wirtz's maiden excellent setup in the English top flight. Discussions into his decline and Liverpool's rare losing streak might as well have been delayed. Rather, Wirtz's wait goes on while Slot stews over a third consecutive away defeat, a couple caused by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a debatable penalty. Small margins, as he repeated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Influence

Salah was key in driving Liverpool towards a record-equalling 20th league title the previous term while speculation over his career rumbled in the background. We achieved almost the maximum out of Mo last term,” said Slot when his leading striker signed an extension in the spring. There has been a obvious decline on an individual and collective level from then. The team, not the terms of a deal, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

His production in terms of goals and assists is lower 50% on the corresponding point last season, from a combined 8 in the first seven league games of 2024-25 to four (a pair of goals and two assists) the current campaign. His number of attempts has fallen from twenty-two to 12 while shots on target have declined from fifteen to 5, contributing to a significant fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has remained consistent is his playmaking. With 12 key passes, versus fourteen at the equivalent point of last term, his stats are among the top in the continent and comparable in the group of Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Team Display

Metrics of team display will trouble the coach additionally. He had 76 touches in the enemy box in the opening seven fixtures of last season. This season's count is 39. The stats are indicative of the team's problems as a whole. Just Manchester United and the Gunners have attempted more shots on goal than Liverpool this season, but Liverpool's rate of attempts from inside the six-yard box is the lowest in the Premier League, their ratio from long range among the highest. Liverpool's rate of accurate shots – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the league.

“In the first half of the previous campaign we mostly scored from an individual brilliance from one of our front three and in the later stage it was mostly from a dead ball,” Slot said. “This season we haven’t had as many sparks of quality and we haven’t scored from set pieces. But we are nonetheless the team that from open play generates the highest xG chances.”

Recent Additions

They are not punishing opponents in the manner the coach planned when Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak were acquired in the offseason, while Liverpool stay the league's third-best scorers. A tie on the weekend would be enough for Slot to achieve the 100-point mark in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Think what his offense will do when it clicks. The side are still a squad of supreme skill, able to starting and reeling in any rival for the title, but unity is absent. That can not be blamed on the recent arrivals alone.

Personal and Collective Challenges

The player is not the sole key member to experience a decline, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he ends up at the center of the upheaval that has recently enveloped the club. That goes to a individual level, with Salah's grief over the passing of Diogo Jota obvious on that poignant first game against Bournemouth. The influence of his loss can neither be measured nor dismissed.

Tactical Changes

Last season, he