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Mohamed Salah was back in form this week, bagging a brace to help Egypt secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Djibouti. The forward's tally for the season now stands at an impressive six goals and three assists from 13 appearances for both club and country.
However, Liverpool may be feeling a bit hard done by as three of those goals were netted while on international duty. Despite being the standout player in the Premier League last season, scooping both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards, Salah hasn't quite hit the same heights this campaign.
The 33-year-old has failed to find the back of the net in his last four outings for the Reds, and didn't manage to contribute a goal in Liverpool's consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.
After a particularly lackluster performance at Stamford Bridge, it's no surprise that he's under increased scrutiny outside of Anfield.
Salah certainly responded in style when he joined up with his national team, scoring a well-executed brace in Egypt's latest match. Not only did his goals ensure their qualification for the World Cup for only the fourth time in their history, but they also made him the all-time leading African goalscorer in qualification history.
Back on familiar ground, the Egypt captain thrived. So perhaps it's worth considering the impact of the changes he's still adjusting to on Merseyside following a hefty summer spending spree.
The era of Salah regularly lining up alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane is a thing of the past. Moreover, Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer transfer to Real Madrid has presented Salah with a new primary right-back for the first time in his Liverpool tenure.
Yet, the identity of this new first-choice player remains uncertain, with Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlai all having had a go at the position during Liverpool's initial 11 matches of the season.
Salah has been in the starting eleven for nine out of his ten appearances, with each of the aforementioned trio starting three games apiece. However, Frimpong has been subbed off before the 60-minute mark in two of his matches, while Bradley has also been replaced at half-time twice. In one instance, Szoboszlai was shifted into midfield during half-time.
This constant shuffling isn't aiding Salah as he attempts to forge new on-pitch partnerships after eight years of consistency with Alexander-Arnold. Each of the three right-backs brings a unique set of skills to the role and interprets it in their own distinct manner.
While Liverpool's attack has been somewhat more stable, Salah still finds himself alongside new colleagues he needs to acclimatise to in the frontline.
A forward trio of Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo has been Slot's favoured selection for most of the season, starting together six times. However, despite a promising start, the Frenchman is also still finding his feet at Anfield.
The same principle applies to both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz following their substantial moves to Merseyside.vSalah has already recognised this challenge, having become accustomed to stability within Liverpool's attacking framework during his Anfield tenure.
In a recent discussion with the Men In Blazers podcast, Salah admitted it will demand patience to forge chemistry with his new colleagues, citing Ekitike as an example.
"So far, I didn't figure the connections out yet," Salah openly admitted. "Like with Darwin or Lucho or the guys they used to play in front, or Diogo.
"I knew where to start with Diogo or Darwin. I know where to find them. I knew their game very well, but with Hugo, he's still new. Sometimes I need the ball in the field. Sometimes we need it in the space.
"We try to figure that out, through the training sessions or like the videos. The manager shows us. So I will figure it out soon because also it's going to help my game to grow as well."
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