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The time has come to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Liverpool attacker, the Liverpool head coach remarked on Friday. In that case, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s most expensive footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to secure an equaliser versus their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s underperforming forward line that warranted the harshest criticism at Anfield. His backline structure has vanished.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Indeed, Isak was mostly unnoticeable in the centre-forward position and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his difficulties persisted against the club he often scores against. The Sweden player had his initial shot on target in the top division as a Liverpool member in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's new shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward wasted a golden after the break chance in front of the home end and could not protest when their substitution eventually. The Dutch attacker also struck the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to net a second moments after the defender's winner.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It should have been impossible for the hosts to lose a game in which they generated numerous chances, the manager remarked. But it is not impossible with a backline in current state, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now Manchester United have proven.

Defensive Breakdown Under Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first person to do so since a previous manager in years past, the coach must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited United to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Littered with the repeated issues that the team's management had focused on solving after the pause, including another dead-ball score, it was a performance that totally derailed the title holders' after halftime comeback and lost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Despite Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could feel one more last-minute victory with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward igniting improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three opposition players free past Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the goal that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest victory of his turbulent United tenure. Despite the negativity around the coach it was his team that played with clear purpose and a well-executed plan for the majority of a compelling contest. The first back-to-back league wins of Amorim’s reign were the result. Slot’s team again appeared like unfamiliar at times, especially when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth occasion in the Premier League this season.

Early Goal Reveals Backline Issues

The home side were found wanting from the start to the finish of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from the captain, a likely consequence of having to go through opponents to reach the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and released the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was slow to respond, the centre-back slow to recover and mark the forward's run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the unavailable first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Issues

The manager could reasonably point to his decisions and ask where the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his backline. The forward's goal means the team have kept only a couple of clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

The visitors carved open the left side frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and also the attacker all came close to increasing the visitors’ lead. Sending Diallo early versus the full-back was obviously part of Amorim’s tactic. It succeeded repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further difficult match in a club jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly put Mbeumo through while making one interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a many gambles,” the head coach explained after the opposition's win. “Following the second half we had six or seven attacking members on the pitch. That’s maybe why our organization for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are. Normally we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to improve.”