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It is now appropriate to begin evaluating Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Anfield striker, the Liverpool head coach commented on the weekend. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s costliest footballer sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions attempted unsuccessfully to force an leveler against Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's underperforming forward line that earned the harshest blame at Anfield. The team's defence has disappeared.

Anonymous Performance from Key Attackers

Indeed, Isak was mostly anonymous in the No 9 role and Salah again poor as his difficulties continued versus the club he often plunders. The Sweden international had his initial attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the first half, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah missed a excellent second-half opportunity facing the Kop and neither protest when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and inexplicably failed to net a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Impossible Loss Despite Opportunities

It ought to have been impossible for Liverpool to lose a match in which they created numerous opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is not impossible with a defence in such condition, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently Manchester United have demonstrated.

Defensive Breakdown During Pressure

While overseeing a fourth straight loss as Liverpool head coach, the first man to do so after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the repeated issues that the team's coaching staff had focused on solving following the international break, including another dead-ball score, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime comeback and lost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Despite Improvement

The upper hand was finally with the hosts when the substitute cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could sense one more late win with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa sparking improvement and United in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further last-gasp Premier League defeat, the third straight, after Liverpool’s dead-ball frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several opposition players free behind the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A powerful header into the net that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest win of his challenging United tenure. Despite the criticism around the coach it was his squad that played with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented plan for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first back-to-back league victories of the manager's time in charge were the outcome. Slot’s team once more appeared like strangers at times, particularly when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the division the current campaign.

Quick Opener Reveals Defensive Issues

Liverpool were lacking from the start to the execution of the attacker's 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the first attempt from the captain, a probable consequence of having to pass opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and passed to the winger in space on the right. the defender was slow to react, the centre-back delayed to track back and follow Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the position.

Officiating and Concentration Issues

Slot could justifiably point to his head and ask why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious history, but also doubt the concentration and coordination among his defenders. The forward's strike indicates the side have managed only two clean sheets in 12 matches this season, the most recent occurring eight games previously at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even the attacker all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ lead. Sending Diallo early against Kerkez was obviously part of Amorim’s gameplan. It succeeded repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million summer signing from Bournemouth endured another tough evening in a club shirt. Throw-ins were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who almost sent Mbeumo in on goal while attempting one interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Explanation and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of risks,” the head coach explained after United’s victory. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking players on the field. This is perhaps why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to improve.”