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It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a record-breaking Anfield centre forward, Arne Slot commented on Friday. As such, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the Premier League title holders attempted unsuccessfully to secure an leveler versus their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s underperforming attack that earned the fiercest scrutiny at the stadium. His defence has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Indeed, Isak was largely quiet in the centre-forward role and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils persisted versus the team he often scores against. The Swedish player had his initial attempt on goal in the top division as a Reds member in the first half, excellently denied by United’s new goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward wasted a golden second-half chance facing the Kop and could not protest when their substitution were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork three times and inexplicably was unable to net a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for the hosts to be defeated in a match in which they created plenty of chances, the manager claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now Manchester United have demonstrated.

Defensive Breakdown During Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as Liverpool head coach, the first person to do so since Brendan Rodgers in years past, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that the team's management had worked on fixing after the pause, including another dead-ball score, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ second half recovery and lost them the game.

Advantage Squandered Even with Improvement

Momentum was at last with the home side when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. Liverpool could sense another last-minute victory with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa sparking progress and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another last-gasp Premier League loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and the defender found himself among several United players unmarked behind the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the finest victory of his turbulent club reign. Despite the negativity around the coach it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented approach for the majority of a compelling contest. The first consecutive league wins of Amorim’s reign were the outcome. Slot’s team again appeared like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the division the current campaign.

Early Goal Exposes Backline Issues

The home side were lacking from the start to the execution of the attacker's 62-second first goal. There was little impact on the first header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable result of having to go through two players to connect with the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to react, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow the forward's run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

Slot could reasonably point to his head and wonder why the foul was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the focus and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike means the team have kept only two shutouts in 12 matches this season, the last occurring eight games ago at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and even Gakpo all came close to increasing the away team's advantage. Releasing the winger early against the full-back was obviously in the manager's gameplan. It succeeded time and again in the opening 45 minutes. The £40m new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further tough evening in a club jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly sent Mbeumo through while attempting an interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a many risks,” the head coach explained following United’s victory. “Following the second half we had multiple attacking players on the field. That’s perhaps why our organization for the dead-ball was less organized as we usually are. Usually we would have more defending personnel on the pitch. Maybe it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to improve.”