Salah under scrutiny ahead of United showdown as Liverpool slump

Mohamed Salah heads into Sunday’s showdown with Manchester United at Anfield under fresh scrutiny after a slow start to the season in which the Liverpool forward has produced three goals and three assists in 10 appearances and gone three matches without a goal or assist. Salah returned to Merseyside having set a record for goals in African World Cup qualifying, and club footage from Friday’s final training session showed him score a left‑footed strike that teammates celebrated, a moment the club and supporters have seized on as a boost to his confidence ahead of the high‑profile fixture.

Salah’s domestic output this season has fallen short of the standards he set in recent years. He has scored only twice in the Premier League so far, and critics have pointed to missed chances in recent games as evidence of a drop in finishing. Liverpool have also endured a difficult run of results, losing to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea before the international break, heightening pressure on the team and its talisman.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and other observers have highlighted several factors they say help explain Salah’s downturn. They point to changes in personnel...