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The time has come to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Anfield centre forward, Arne Slot commented on the weekend. As such, evaluation needs to be severe, but as the UK's most expensive footballer sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the English top-flight title holders tried in vain to secure an leveler against their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s underperforming forward line that deserved the fiercest criticism at the stadium. His defence has vanished.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 role and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils persisted versus the team he often plunders. The Swedish player had his initial attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward squandered a glorious after the break chance facing the Kop and neither complain when their substitution were shown. Cody Gakpo also struck the crossbar on multiple occasions and inexplicably failed to net a second shortly after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Impossible Defeat In Spite of Opportunities

It seemed impossible for Liverpool to lose a match in which they generated numerous opportunities, the manager remarked. But it is possible with a backline in current state, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently United have shown.

Backline Breakdown During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as the club's head coach, the first person to achieve this since a previous manager in years past, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that allowed United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Littered with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on fixing following the international break, featuring yet another dead-ball goal, it was a display that completely undermined the champions’ second half comeback and cost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Even with Improvement

Momentum was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early breakthrough. Liverpool could sense one more late win with replacements one attacker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and United in retreat. Rather, it was another late top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s set-piece frailties re-emerged and the defender found himself among several United members unmarked behind the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Excel

A powerful goal into the net that the player blazed over in the final moments of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave the United manager the best win of his turbulent club reign. Despite the negativity surrounding the coach it was his team that played with definite plan and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial back-to-back league victories of the manager's reign were the outcome. Slot’s team once more appeared like unfamiliar at points, especially when allowing a set-piece score for the fifth time in the division this season.

Quick Opener Exposes Backline Flaws

The home side were exposed from the inception to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from the captain, a probable result of having to go through two players to connect with the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and released Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. the defender was slow to react, the centre-back delayed to track back and mark Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Officiating and Concentration Issues

The manager could reasonably question his decisions and ask why the whistle was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the concentration and coordination among his backline. The forward's goal indicates the team have kept only two clean sheets in 12 matches so far, the most recent occurring many matches ago at another ground.

Constant Targeting of Left Flank

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left flank repeatedly in a opening period in which Fernandes, another player and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Sending Diallo quickly against Kerkez was obviously part of Amorim’s strategy. It succeeded time and again in the first half. The £40m summer signing from Bournemouth endured another difficult evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while attempting an interception. The defender and the captain seem on not in sync at the moment.

Coach's Analysis and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a many risks,” the head coach commented after the opposition's win. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking members on the field. That’s maybe why our organization for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Normally we would have more defensive personnel on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to do better.”