Interestingly, he has also accrued 1.5 xA, only for his team-mates to be equally wasteful. As we might expect, Salah’s form is partly a symptom of the overall dip in Liverpool’s performances.
Nevertheless anyone watching Liverpool’s recent matches can see that Salah isn’t himself: his touch, his shooting, and his movement are all off. Why is that?
Injury, tiredness, or a tactical problem?
The simplest explanation is that Salah is exhausted (after consistently playing 50-60 matches per season) and lacks match sharpness following his return from injury.
So rarely on the treatment table, Salah may be struggling with the novelty of having to re-find his feet, especially alongside team-mates who aren’t firing on all cylinders.
However, there may be a tactical explanation, too.
The graphics below, comparing Salah’s last six matches to his first 23 in the Premier League this season, illustrate the slight change in his position on the pitch.