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The time has come to begin evaluating Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Liverpool centre forward, Arne Slot remarked on Friday. As such, judgment must be harsh, but as the UK's most expensive player sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the Premier League champions struggled to force an leveler versus Manchester United in their absence, it was not the manager's misfiring forward line that earned the strongest blame at the stadium. The team's defence has evaporated.

Anonymous Performance from Key Attackers

Indeed, the Swedish striker was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 position and Salah subpar once more as his individual toils continued against the team he often plunders. The Swedish international had his initial shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds member in the first half, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward squandered a glorious after the break opportunity facing the Kop and could not complain when their substitution came up. The Dutch attacker also struck the crossbar three times and inexplicably was unable to score a another goal shortly after the defender's winner.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they created numerous chances, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a defence in current state, as one opponent, another rival and now Manchester United have shown.

Backline Collapse During Scrutiny

While overseeing a fourth successive loss as Liverpool manager, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that allowed United to seize control as well as their first victory at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on fixing after the international break, featuring yet another dead-ball goal, it was a performance that totally derailed the title holders' after halftime recovery and cost them the game.

Advantage Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick breakthrough. The Merseyside club could sense another last-minute victory with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further late top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three United players unmarked behind the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Excel

A thumping header into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent United reign. Despite the negativity surrounding the coach it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed approach for the majority of a thrilling encounter. The first consecutive Premier League wins of Amorim’s reign were the outcome. The Liverpool team again looked like strangers at points, especially when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the division the current campaign.

Quick Opener Exposes Defensive Flaws

The home side were found wanting from the inception to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the first header from Virgil van Dijk, a likely consequence of having to pass opponents to reach the pass, to be fair, and little challenge on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. the defender was late to respond, the centre-back slow to recover and follow the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Concentration Questions

The manager could reasonably question his head and ask where the foul was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the concentration and communication among his backline. The forward's strike means the team have kept only two shutouts in 12 matches this season, the most recent coming many matches ago at Burnley.

Constant Targeting of Defensive Side

The visitors carved open the left side frequently in a opening period in which Fernandes, another player and also Gakpo all came close to doubling the away team's advantage. Sending the winger early versus the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s tactic. It worked repeatedly in the first half. The £40m new arrival from his former club endured another difficult evening in a Liverpool shirt. Throw-ins were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly put the forward through while attempting an interception. The defender and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Analysis and Admission

“We take a many risks,” the head coach explained following United’s win. “After the second half we had multiple offensive members on the pitch. That’s maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defending personnel on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to improve.”