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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Liverpool striker, Arne Slot remarked on the weekend. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s costliest player was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the English top-flight title holders attempted unsuccessfully to force an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not Slot’s underperforming offence that earned the harshest blame at the stadium. The team's backline structure has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Indeed, the Swedish striker was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 position and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils continued versus the club he often plunders. The Swedish player had his initial attempt on goal in the top division as a Liverpool player in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah wasted a excellent second-half opportunity in front of the Kop and neither protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and inexplicably was unable to net a another goal shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Unthinkable Loss Despite Opportunities

It seemed unthinkable for the hosts to lose a match in which they created so many opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a defence in this form, as one opponent, another rival and now Manchester United have shown.

Defensive Collapse During Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth successive defeat as Liverpool manager, the first person to achieve this after a previous manager in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited United to seize control as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Filled with the identical errors that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on fixing after the pause, including yet another dead-ball score, it was a display that totally derailed the title holders' after halftime comeback and cost them the game.

Momentum Lost Even with Uptick

Momentum was at last with the hosts when the substitute cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early breakthrough. Liverpool could feel another last-minute win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking progress and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another last-gasp Premier League loss, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself among several opposition players free behind the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the goal that the player blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his turbulent United tenure. Despite the criticism around the coach it was his squad that performed with definite plan and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial back-to-back league wins of Amorim’s time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool team again appeared like unfamiliar at points, particularly when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Goal Exposes Backline Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from the captain, a likely consequence of having to go through opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and released the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to react, the centre-back slow to track back and mark the forward's run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in net, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Issues

Slot could reasonably point to his head and ask where the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the concentration and coordination levels his backline. Mbeumo’s goal indicates Slot’s side have kept only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games this season, the most recent occurring eight games ago at Burnley.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

United exposed the left side repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Releasing the winger quickly against Kerkez was obviously part of Amorim’s gameplan. It succeeded time and again in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from his former club experienced a further tough match in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for the previous player's replacement, who nearly sent the forward in on goal while making one challenge. Kerkez and Van Dijk seem on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of risks,” the head coach explained after the opposition's victory. “After the second half we had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. This is maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was less organized as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defending players on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to improve.”