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The time has come to begin evaluating Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Liverpool attacker, Arne Slot remarked on Friday. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight title holders struggled to force an equaliser against their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring attack that warranted the fiercest criticism at the stadium. His backline structure has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was mostly anonymous in the No 9 role and Salah again poor as his personal struggles continued versus the team he usually scores against. The Sweden player had his initial shot on target in the top division as a Reds member in the first half, smartly stopped by the opposition's new shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah wasted a excellent second-half opportunity in front of the home end and could not complain when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to net a second shortly after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Chances

It ought to have been impossible for Liverpool to lose a game in which they created numerous opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in such condition, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now United have demonstrated.

Defensive Collapse Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth consecutive defeat as the club's manager, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that allowed the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that the team's management had worked on eradicating following the pause, including another set-piece score, it was a display that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime recovery and lost them the match.

Momentum Lost Despite Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early breakthrough. The Merseyside club could feel one more last-minute win with substitutes one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further last-gasp top-flight defeat, the third straight, after the team's set-piece frailties re-emerged and the defender found himself among several opposition members free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A thumping header into the goal that Maguire missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his challenging club reign. Despite the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed approach for the majority of a compelling contest. The first consecutive league wins of the manager's time in charge were the result. The Liverpool team again appeared like unfamiliar at points, especially when allowing a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the Premier League this season.

Quick Opener Exposes Backline Issues

Liverpool were exposed from the inception to the execution of the attacker's 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from the captain, a probable result of having to go through opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he took possession and released the winger in open area on the right. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, Van Dijk delayed to recover and mark the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Concentration Issues

The manager could reasonably question his decisions and wonder 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 indicates the side have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last coming eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Targeting of Defensive Side

United carved open the left side repeatedly in a opening period in which the midfielder, another player and even Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Sending the winger quickly versus Kerkez was obviously in Amorim’s strategy. It succeeded time and again in the opening 45 minutes. The £40m summer signing from his former club endured a further tough evening in a club jersey. Throw-ins were also a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost put Mbeumo in on goal while attempting one challenge. The defender and the captain appear on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Acknowledgment

“We take a many risks,” the head coach explained after the opposition's win. “After the second half we had multiple offensive players on the field. This is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Normally we would have more defensive personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”