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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool centre forward, the Liverpool head coach commented on Friday. In that case, judgment must be harsh, but as the UK's costliest footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the Premier League title holders tried in vain to force an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that deserved the strongest blame at Anfield. His defensive foundation has evaporated.

Quiet Performance from Key Forwards

Yes, the Swedish striker was largely unnoticeable in the centre-forward role and the Egyptian winger subpar once more as his individual toils continued versus the team he usually scores against. The Sweden international had his first attempt on goal in the top division as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Salah wasted a golden after the break chance in front of the Kop and could not protest when their numbers eventually. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow failed to net a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Defeat In Spite of Opportunities

It should have been impossible for the hosts to be defeated in a match in which they created numerous chances, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a defence in current state, as one opponent, another rival and now Manchester United have proven.

Backline Breakdown Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as the club's manager, the first man to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in years past, the coach must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited United to take the initiative as well as their first victory at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the identical errors that Liverpool’s management had worked on solving after the pause, featuring another set-piece score, it was a display that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime comeback and lost them the match.

Advantage Lost Despite Improvement

Momentum was finally with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out the forward's early breakthrough. Liverpool could feel another last-minute win with substitutes one attacker, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further late top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s dead-ball frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several opposition players unmarked past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Purposeful Rivals Excel

A thumping goal into the net that Maguire missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest win of his turbulent United tenure. For all the criticism surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with clear purpose and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a thrilling encounter. The first back-to-back Premier League wins of the manager's reign were the outcome. The Liverpool side once more appeared like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Quick Opener Reveals Backline Flaws

The home side were found wanting from the start to the finish of Mbeumo’s 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to pass two players to connect with the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, Van Dijk slow to recover and follow Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured Alisson in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

The manager could justifiably question his head and wonder where the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his defenders. Mbeumo’s goal indicates Slot’s team have kept only a couple of clean sheets in 12 matches so far, the last coming eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

United exposed Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and also Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Releasing Diallo quickly against Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's gameplan. It worked time and again in the opening half. The £40 million summer signing from Bournemouth endured a further difficult evening in a club shirt. Set-pieces were also a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly sent Mbeumo through while making one challenge. The defender and the captain appear on not in sync at present.

Coach's Analysis and Acknowledgment

“We take a lot of risks,” Slot explained after United’s victory. “Following the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking players on the field. This is perhaps why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have additional defensive personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to improve.”