It's been a while, but Mohamed Salah returned taking on the main part in recent days with a double in Morocco that secured the Egyptian team's position at the global tournament. The star claiming the limelight yet again. Liverpool require him to remain there.
We see many reasons why inconsistent, unconvincing showings have been the common thread running through Liverpool's opening to their title defence, if they recorded seven wins in a row or, before the Red Devils' trip to Anfield on the weekend, three losses in a row. The turmoil from so many new signings, Arne Slot's quest for his top team, the late forward's tragic death; Salah has experienced the effect of them all during his atypically quiet beginning to the season.
Sunday's key fixture could offer the spark for the source of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 games for Liverpool against United, who are paying their 100th visit to the stadium and have not triumphed at their fierce rivals for over nine years. The attacker will create the manager with an additional unexpected problem, yet, if he stay caught in the upheaval much longer.
Liverpool's head coach likely noticed the paradox of Salah's first goal against the opponent in midweek. Struck immediately with the outside of his left foot inside the near post, his eighth score of Egypt's qualifying effort originated from an very similar position to his big mistake against Chelsea prior to the break for internationals.
Had that attempt been scored shortly after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising the new signing's first superb setup in the Premier League. Inquests into Salah's decline and Liverpool's rare losing run might as well have been delayed. Rather, the midfielder's search continues while Slot fumes over a third consecutive defeat away, two caused by late goals and another the outcome of a debatable penalty. Narrow differences, as he repeated on Friday, but they do not camouflage larger problems.
Salah was crucial in driving the side towards a historic 20th league title last season while speculation over his career rumbled in the backdrop. “We brought nearly the utmost out of Salah this season,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a fresh deal in April. We have seen a noticeable decrease on an personal and collective level from then. The squad, not the terms of a deal, are to blame.
His contribution in terms of scores and assists is reduced half on the corresponding stage last season, from a total eight in the opening seven league games of 2024-25 to 4 (a pair of goals and two assists) this term. The count of attempts has decreased from 22 to twelve while accurate shots have declined from fifteen to five, contributing to a sharp fall in shot accuracy (excluding blocks) from 78.9% to 55.6%, data show.
A single trait that has remained consistent is Salah's chance creation. With 12 opportunities made, compared with 14 at the same stage of last campaign, his stats stay among the top in Europe and up in the company of young talents and Arda Güler, his younger counterparts by fifteen and thirteen years each.
Measures of team performance will worry Slot additionally. He had seventy-six contacts in the opposition box in the first seven league games of the prior campaign. This season's count is 39. The stats are indicative of the team's difficulties overall. Just Manchester United and Arsenal have taken a greater number of shots on goal than them in the current term, but Liverpool's proportion of attempts from within the goal area is the lowest in the division, their share from distance among the highest. The club's rate of shots on target – 28.4% – is as well among the poorest in the competition.
During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly found the net from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the second half it was more from a dead ball,” the manager said. “This season we lack as numerous acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the team that from open play produces the most xG chances.”
They are not hurting foes in the fashion Slot envisaged when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and Alexander Isak were signed recently, though Liverpool are the division's equal third-top scorers. A draw on the weekend would be enough for him to reach the 100-point total in less games than any boss in the club's history (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it clicks. The side remain a squad of outstanding skill, equipped to starting and reeling in any opponent for the title, but synergy is lacking. This can not be attributed on the new signings by themselves.
Salah is not the sole key player to experience a decline, with the midfielder regaining to match sharpness and the defender laboring. But he finds himself at the center of the disruption that has lately enveloped the club. That applies to a personal level, with Salah's grief over the loss of Diogo Jota obvious on that poignant opening night against Bournemouth. The impact of his death can not be quantified nor dismissed.
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Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
