Mohamed Salah Faces Worst Start, His Decline Exposes Liverpool's Crisis

Mohamed Salah, the star of the Egyptian national team and English club Liverpool, is going through a period of decline this season, which was clearly evident in the Reds' loss to Crystal Palace.Mohamed Salah's crisis is not an individual decline, but rather stems from the team's crisis and is linked to deeper collective issues that could affect the 'Reds'' campaign in the 2025-2026 season.Liverpool lost yesterday, Saturday, to Crystal Palace by two goals to one in the dying moments, amidst Mohamed Salah's complete disappearance on the pitch, and his rating was very poor.Salah Struggling at LiverpoolSince joining Liverpool in 2017, Salah has been one of the team's pillars and the most important weapon that contributed to winning the 2019 Champions League, the 2020 Premier League title, or last season's Premier League title.However, his numbers this season indicate a noticeable decline, as he has scored only 4 goals in the first 9 matches of the season compared to 8 goals in the same period last season, in addition to a decrease in his assist rate and shot accuracy, having taken 20 shots with only 35% accuracy on goal.It appears Salah is suffering from immense pressure this season, alongside tight defensive marking from opponents and a lack of cohesion within the team's attacking system.Liverpool Suffers from a Shaky Defense and a Midfield Lacking SolutionsMohamed Salah's crisis is not isolated; defensive problems represent Liverpool's most prominent issues this season. The team has conceded 12 goals in 9 matches, double what they conceded during the same period last season.The team also struggled defensively from set pieces, conceding 5 goals from corners and free kicks.As for the midfield, it has lacked creativity and control, with a decrease in possession percentage and chance creation compared to previous seasons. Liverpool has only managed 3 key passes per game, a significant drop compared to last season's average of 5.5.Solving Mohamed Salah's ProblemTo improve the situation, Liverpool needs to implement tactical adjustments, such as playing with two defensive midfielders to secure the defense and give Salah more space to operate.Mo needs more support within the attacking system, which could help him regain his brilliance and score goals regularly, which is not happening yet despite the reinforcements made during the transfer window.