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Now is the moment to begin evaluating Alexander Isak fairly as a record-breaking Liverpool attacker, the Liverpool head coach remarked on the weekend. As such, judgment must be harsh, but as the UK's highest-priced player sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions struggled to secure an leveler against Manchester United in their absence, it was not the manager's underperforming forward line that deserved the harshest scrutiny at Anfield. The team's defensive foundation has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Star Attackers

Yes, Isak was largely quiet in the No 9 role and Salah again poor as his personal struggles continued against the club he often plunders. The Swedish player had his first attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Reds member in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's new shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward squandered a golden after the break chance facing the home end and could not protest when their substitution eventually. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably failed to net a second shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It seemed unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they generated numerous opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a defence in current state, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now United have shown.

Backline Breakdown Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth consecutive loss as Liverpool manager, the first person to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in years past, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to seize control as well as their initial win at Anfield since January 2016. Filled with the identical errors that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on eradicating after the pause, featuring yet another dead-ball score, it was a performance that totally undermined the title holders' after halftime comeback and cost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the hosts when Gakpo equalized the forward's quick opener. Liverpool could sense one more late victory with substitutes one attacker, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further last-gasp top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's set-piece frailties resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three opposition players unmarked past Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages.

Purposeful Opposition Excel

A powerful goal into the goal that the player blazed over in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest victory of his turbulent United reign. For all the negativity surrounding the coach it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented approach for the majority of a thrilling contest. The first back-to-back league victories of the manager's reign were the outcome. The Liverpool side again looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a dead-ball score for the fifth time in the Premier League this season.

Quick Opener Reveals Backline Flaws

The home side were found wanting from the inception to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire first goal. There was little impact on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable result of having to go through opponents to reach the pass, to be fair, and little challenge on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right. the defender was late to react, Van Dijk slow to recover and mark Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

The manager could reasonably question his decisions and ask why the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also doubt the focus and coordination among his defenders. The forward's strike means the team have managed only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Repeated Exploitation of Left Flank

United exposed Liverpool’s left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and even the attacker all came close to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Sending the winger quickly against the full-back was obviously part of Amorim’s strategy. It worked time and again in the first half. The £40m new arrival from his former club endured another tough match in a Liverpool shirt. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly sent the forward through while making an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present.

Coach's Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” the head coach explained after the opposition's win. “After the second half we had multiple offensive members on the field. That’s maybe why our structure for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are. Normally we would have more defending personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”