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It is now appropriate to begin evaluating Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool attacker, Arne Slot commented on Friday. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s costliest footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the English top-flight title holders struggled to secure an leveler versus Manchester United in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that earned the fiercest blame at Anfield. His defensive foundation has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Key Forwards

Yes, the Swedish striker was mostly anonymous in the centre-forward position and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils continued versus the team he often plunders. The Swedish international had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, excellently denied by United’s new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward wasted a glorious second-half chance facing the Kop and neither complain when their substitution came up. Cody Gakpo also hit the crossbar three times and inexplicably was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Defeat Despite Chances

It should have been unthinkable for the hosts to lose a match in which they generated plenty of opportunities, the manager remarked. But it is not impossible with a defence in this form, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now Manchester United have shown.

Defensive Collapse Under Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as the club's manager, the first man to do so since a previous manager in years past, the coach must have been frustrated at a backline effort that allowed United to take the initiative as well as their first victory at Anfield since January 2016. Littered with the identical errors that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on solving after the international break, featuring yet another dead-ball score, it was a performance that completely undermined the title holders' after halftime recovery and cost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early breakthrough. Liverpool could feel one more last-minute victory with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late Premier League loss, the third straight, after the team's set-piece frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several United players free behind the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Excel

A powerful goal into the net that Maguire missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his challenging club tenure. Despite the negativity around the coach it was his team that played with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented plan for the majority of a thrilling contest. The first back-to-back league victories of the manager's reign were the outcome. The Liverpool side again appeared like unfamiliar at points, particularly when allowing a dead-ball score for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Opener Reveals Defensive Issues

The home side were exposed from the inception to the finish of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to go through two players to reach the ball, admittedly, and little challenge on the playmaker when he took possession and passed to the winger in space on the right. the defender was late to respond, Van Dijk slow to recover and mark the forward's run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in net, was easily beaten from the position.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

The manager could justifiably point to his head and wonder why the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a contentious history, but also question the focus and communication levels his backline. The forward's goal indicates Slot’s side have managed only a couple of shutouts in 12 matches this season, the most recent occurring many matches previously at Burnley.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, another player and even Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Sending the winger early against the full-back was clearly part of Amorim’s tactic. It succeeded time and again in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth endured another difficult evening in a Liverpool shirt. Throw-ins were also a problem for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while attempting one challenge. The defender and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” the head coach commented after the opposition's win. “After the second half we had multiple attacking members on the field. This is maybe why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have more defending players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”