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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Liverpool attacker, Arne Slot commented on the weekend. As such, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced player was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the Premier League title holders attempted unsuccessfully to force an equaliser against Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's underperforming forward line that earned the harshest criticism at Anfield. His defensive foundation has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was largely anonymous in the centre-forward role and the Egyptian winger subpar once more as his individual toils persisted versus the team he often scores against. The Swedish player had his initial shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds member in the first half, excellently denied by United’s latest goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward squandered a golden second-half opportunity in front of the home end and could not complain when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also struck the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow failed to score a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Chances

It should have been impossible for Liverpool to lose a match in which they generated so many opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a defence in this form, as one opponent, Chelsea and currently United have shown.

Defensive Breakdown During Pressure

While overseeing a fourth successive loss as Liverpool manager, the first person to do so since Brendan Rodgers in years past, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that allowed United to seize control as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s management had worked on solving following the international break, featuring another set-piece score, it was a display that totally undermined the title holders' second half comeback and cost them the game.

Momentum Squandered Despite Improvement

Momentum was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. Liverpool could feel one more late victory with substitutes one attacker, a midfielder and another forward sparking progress and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after the team's dead-ball frailties re-emerged and the defender found himself one of three United players free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the net that the player blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest win of his challenging United tenure. Despite the negativity around Amorim it was his squad that played with obvious strategy and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The initial back-to-back league victories of Amorim’s time in charge were the result. Slot’s team again looked like unfamiliar at points, particularly when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Early Opener Exposes Defensive Issues

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the execution of Mbeumo’s 62-second first goal. There was no purchase on the initial header from the captain, a probable result of having to go through opponents to connect with the pass, to be fair, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right. the defender was late to respond, the centre-back delayed to recover and follow the forward's run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Refereeing and Concentration Questions

The manager could reasonably point to his decisions and wonder why the whistle was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the focus and coordination levels his backline. Mbeumo’s goal indicates Slot’s team have managed only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games this season, the most recent occurring many matches ago at another ground.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

United carved open the left side repeatedly in a first half in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and even Gakpo all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Releasing the winger quickly versus the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s gameplan. It worked repeatedly in the opening 45 minutes. The £40 million summer signing from his former club experienced another tough match in a club jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who nearly put Mbeumo through while making an interception. The defender and the captain seem on not in sync at the moment.

Coach's Explanation and Admission

“We take a many gambles,” the head coach commented following the opposition's victory. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking members on the pitch. This is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was not as perfect as we typically are. Normally we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. We know we have to improve.”