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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak fairly as a £125 million Anfield attacker, Arne Slot commented on the weekend. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s most expensive footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the Premier League title holders struggled to secure an leveler versus their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring forward line that warranted the fiercest criticism at Anfield. The team's backline structure has vanished.

Quiet Display from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was mostly unnoticeable in the centre-forward position and Salah again poor as his difficulties persisted against the club he often plunders. The Swedish player had his first shot on target in the top division as a Liverpool member in the 35th minute, excellently denied by United’s latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. Salah missed a glorious second-half chance facing the home end and could not protest when their substitution came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and somehow failed to net a another goal shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Defeat In Spite of Chances

It should have been impossible for the hosts to be defeated in a game in which they generated plenty of chances, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently United have demonstrated.

Defensive Breakdown Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth successive defeat as the club's head coach, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Filled with the identical errors that Liverpool’s management had worked on solving following the pause, featuring another dead-ball score, it was a display that totally derailed the title holders' after halftime comeback and cost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Even with Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. The Merseyside club could sense another late win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and another forward igniting improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further last-gasp top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after the team's set-piece weaknesses re-emerged and Maguire found himself one of three United players free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Outperform

A thumping goal into the goal that Maguire missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the best victory of his challenging club reign. For all the criticism around Amorim it was his team that played with definite plan and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a compelling contest. The initial back-to-back Premier League wins of Amorim’s reign were the outcome. Slot’s team again appeared like strangers at points, particularly when conceding a dead-ball score for the fifth time in the Premier League this season.

Early Goal Exposes Backline Issues

The home side were found wanting from the start to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire first goal. There was no purchase on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely result of having to go through opponents to reach the pass, to be fair, and little challenge on the playmaker when he took possession and released the winger in space on the right. the defender was slow to respond, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow Mbeumo’s movement while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the position.

Officiating and Focus Questions

The manager could reasonably point to his head and wonder where the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also doubt the concentration and coordination among his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike means the side have kept only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

United carved open Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a opening period in which Fernandes, another player and also the attacker all came close to doubling the visitors’ lead. Sending the winger quickly against the full-back was clearly in the manager's gameplan. It worked time and again in the first half. The £40m new arrival from Bournemouth endured a further tough evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while attempting an challenge. The defender and the captain appear on not in sync at the moment.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a many gambles,” Slot explained following United’s win. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking players on the pitch. This is perhaps why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Normally we would have additional defending players on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”