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It is now appropriate to begin evaluating Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Liverpool striker, Arne Slot remarked on the weekend. As such, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s costliest player was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the Premier League title holders attempted unsuccessfully to secure an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not the manager's misfiring attack that earned the harshest criticism at Anfield. The team's defence has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Indeed, the Swedish striker was predominantly anonymous in the No 9 role and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils persisted against the club he typically scores against. The Swedish player had his first attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool member in the 35th minute, well saved by the opposition's new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Salah squandered a glorious after the break opportunity in front of the Kop and neither protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably was unable to score a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Defeat Despite Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they created so many opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now United have proven.

Defensive Breakdown Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool manager, the first person to achieve this after a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to take the initiative as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that the team's coaching staff had focused on solving after the international break, including another set-piece score, it was a performance that totally undermined the champions’ after halftime comeback and cost them the game.

Momentum Squandered Despite Uptick

Momentum was finally with the hosts when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early breakthrough. The Merseyside club could feel another last-minute victory with replacements one attacker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses re-emerged and the defender found himself among several United members unmarked behind the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the net that the player missed in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his challenging United tenure. For all the criticism around Amorim it was his team that performed with definite plan and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial consecutive league victories of the manager's time in charge were the result. The Liverpool team again appeared like strangers at points, particularly when allowing a dead-ball score for the fifth time in the division this season.

Quick Goal Exposes Backline Issues

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to pass two players to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in space on the right. the defender was slow to react, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow Mbeumo’s movement while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

The manager could reasonably point to his decisions and ask why the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty history, but also question the concentration and coordination among his backline. The forward's strike means Slot’s team have managed only two clean sheets in 12 matches this season, the most recent coming many matches ago at another ground.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a opening period in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even the attacker all came close to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Sending Diallo quickly against Kerkez was clearly part of Amorim’s strategy. It succeeded time and again in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth endured a further difficult evening in a club shirt. Set-pieces were also a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while making an interception. Kerkez and the captain appear on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Analysis and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a many risks,” the head coach commented after the opposition's win. “Following the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking members on the field. This is perhaps why our structure for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have more defending personnel on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. We know we have to do better.”