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The time has come to begin evaluating Alexander Isak fairly as a record-breaking Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach remarked on the weekend. Therefore, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight title holders attempted unsuccessfully to force an equaliser against their rivals without them, it was not the manager's misfiring forward line that warranted the strongest criticism at Anfield. His defence has disappeared.

Quiet Display from Key Forwards

Yes, Isak was mostly quiet in the centre-forward role and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his personal struggles continued versus the team he often plunders. The Sweden player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds player in the first half, well saved by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. The forward squandered a golden second-half chance in front of the Kop and could not complain when their numbers eventually. Cody Gakpo also struck the woodwork three times and inexplicably failed to score a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Loss Despite Opportunities

It ought to have been unthinkable for the hosts to lose a game in which they generated plenty of opportunities, the manager stated. But it is not impossible with a defence in this form, as one opponent, another rival and now United have demonstrated.

Backline Breakdown Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth consecutive defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first man to achieve this since Brendan Rodgers in years past, Slot must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that allowed the visitors to dominate as well as their first victory at the ground in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on eradicating following the international break, including another set-piece score, it was a performance that totally undermined the title holders' second half recovery and cost them the game.

Advantage Lost Despite Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. Liverpool could feel one more late victory with substitutes one attacker, a midfielder and another forward sparking progress and the opposition in retreat. Instead, it was a further last-gasp top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s dead-ball weaknesses re-emerged and the defender found himself one of three United players free past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Purposeful Opposition Outperform

A thumping goal into the net that Maguire missed in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best win of his challenging United tenure. Despite the criticism surrounding Amorim it was his squad that performed with definite plan and a smartly implemented approach for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The initial back-to-back Premier League victories of Amorim’s time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool side once more looked like unfamiliar at points, particularly when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign.

Quick Goal Reveals Defensive Issues

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the finish of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from the captain, a probable result of having to go through opponents to connect with the ball, to be fair, and no pressure on the playmaker when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, Van Dijk slow to track back and mark Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the unavailable first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the position.

Refereeing and Focus Questions

The manager could justifiably question his head and wonder where the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the concentration and communication levels his backline. Mbeumo’s strike means Slot’s side have managed only a couple of clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the most recent occurring eight games ago at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Defensive Side

United carved open the left side frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and even the attacker all came close to increasing the away team's lead. Sending the winger quickly against Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's tactic. It succeeded repeatedly in the opening 45 minutes. The £40 million summer signing from his former club experienced a further difficult match in a club shirt. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who almost put Mbeumo through while making one interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Coach's Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” Slot explained after the opposition's win. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple offensive members on the field. That’s maybe why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Normally we would have additional defensive personnel on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”