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The time has come to commence assessing Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Liverpool attacker, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. As such, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight champions struggled to secure an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not the manager's underperforming attack that warranted the harshest blame at Anfield. The team's defence has disappeared.

Quiet Display from Star Attackers

Indeed, Isak was largely anonymous in the No 9 position and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his difficulties persisted against the club he often scores against. The Sweden international had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the first half, well saved by the opposition's new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward wasted a golden second-half opportunity in front of the home end and could not complain when their substitution eventually. Cody Gakpo also hit the woodwork three times and somehow failed to score a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Loss Despite Opportunities

It ought to have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they generated plenty of opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a defence in such condition, as one opponent, Chelsea and now Manchester United have demonstrated.

Backline Breakdown During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth successive loss as Liverpool head coach, the first person to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that allowed United to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Littered with the identical errors that Liverpool’s management had worked on solving following the international break, including yet another set-piece goal, it was a performance that completely derailed the title holders' second half recovery and cost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Even with Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. Liverpool could feel one more last-minute victory with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and the opposition in retreat. Rather, it was a further last-gasp Premier League loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s dead-ball weaknesses re-emerged and Maguire found himself one of three United players unmarked behind the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Opposition Excel

A thumping header into the net that the player missed in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his challenging club reign. For all the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan for the bulk of a thrilling encounter. The initial back-to-back Premier League victories of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool team again appeared like unfamiliar at points, especially when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Goal Reveals Defensive Flaws

The home side were exposed from the start to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from the captain, a likely result of having to pass two players to reach the pass, to be fair, and little challenge on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and released Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, the centre-back slow to recover and follow Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in goal, was easily beaten from the position.

Officiating and Concentration Issues

Slot could justifiably point to his head and wonder where the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious history, but also doubt the concentration and coordination levels his backline. Mbeumo’s goal means the side have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming eight games ago at another ground.

Repeated Exploitation of Left Flank

United carved open the left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and even the attacker all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ lead. Sending the winger quickly against the full-back was obviously part of the manager's strategy. It succeeded repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further difficult match in a club jersey. Throw-ins were also a problem for the previous player's replacement, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while making an interception. The defender and the captain seem on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Explanation and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a many gambles,” the head coach explained following United’s win. “After the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking members on the pitch. This is maybe why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have additional defending players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. The team understands we have to improve.”