The stats hint at a player on the wane, but can Reds help Salah get back to his best?

THE jeers that greeted Mohamed Salah on his latest return to former club Chelsea at the weekend were nothing new to the Liverpool winger.

- By IAN DOYLE

But for arguably the first time in his illustrious Anfield career, the Egyptian is facing genuine questions about his place in the Reds' starting lineup.

A blunt showing at Stamford Bridge was the latest in a series of hugely underwhelming displays from Salah that have fallen way short of the standards he set on the way to becoming Footballer and PFA Player of the Year and a Premier League champion last season.

It isn't that the 33-year-old has stopped producing reasonable numbers, having registered three goals and three assists in 10 appearances this term.

Indeed, his tally of four goal contributions in seven Premier League games is bettered by only six players.

But the eye test - and a deeper dive into the numbers - highlights a player struggling for form.

Perhaps the most alarming statistic from Saturday was that Salah didn't complete a successful dribble or go past a player once, and had the fewest touches of any outfield player who played 90 minutes.

His successful dribble rate is currently just 12.5%, compared to 42.3% last season. Across the board his metrics are down.

Both Salah's average number of shots and touches in the opposing penalty area have halved in the Premier League so far this campaign, while there has been a drop in the amount of times he brings the ball forward and the chances he creates.