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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Anfield centre forward, Arne Slot stated on Friday. In that case, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced player sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the Premier League title holders struggled to force an equaliser against Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's underperforming attack that earned the harshest blame at Anfield. The team's backline structure has disappeared.

Quiet Performance from Star Forwards

Yes, Isak was mostly quiet in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger again poor as his personal struggles persisted versus the club he usually scores against. The Sweden player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, well saved by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. The forward squandered a glorious second-half opportunity in front of the Kop and could not complain when their substitution came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably was unable to score a second shortly after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Impossible Defeat In Spite of Opportunities

It should have been impossible for the hosts to lose a match in which they created numerous opportunities, Slot stated. But it is not impossible with a defence in such condition, as one opponent, another rival and now United have proven.

Defensive Breakdown During Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth consecutive loss as the club's manager, the first man to achieve this since a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have despaired at a backline effort that allowed United to seize control as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Littered with the identical errors that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on eradicating after the pause, including yet another set-piece score, it was a display that completely undermined the title holders' after halftime recovery and lost them the game.

Advantage Squandered Despite Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the hosts when Gakpo cancelled out the forward's early breakthrough. Liverpool could sense one more late win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa sparking progress and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further late top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself among several United players free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the net that Maguire blazed over in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best win of his challenging club tenure. Despite the criticism around the coach it was his team that performed with definite plan and a smartly implemented plan for the bulk of a compelling contest. The first consecutive Premier League wins of the manager's reign were the result. Slot’s side again looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when allowing a set-piece goal for the fifth time in the Premier League this season.

Quick Opener Exposes Defensive Flaws

The home side were exposed from the start to the finish of Mbeumo’s 62-second first goal. There was little impact on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely consequence of having to pass opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, Van Dijk delayed to recover and mark the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Issues

Slot could justifiably question his decisions and wonder why the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also doubt the focus and communication levels his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike means the side have managed only two clean sheets in 12 matches so far, the last coming eight games ago at another ground.

Repeated Exploitation of Defensive Side

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left side frequently in a opening period in which Fernandes, another player and even the attacker all came close to doubling the away team's lead. Releasing the winger early versus the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s tactic. It succeeded repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40m summer signing from his former club endured a further difficult match in a Liverpool jersey. Throw-ins were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who almost sent the forward in on goal while making one challenge. The defender and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Explanation and Admission

“Our approach involves a many gambles,” the head coach explained after United’s win. “After the second half we had multiple offensive players on the pitch. That’s perhaps why our organization for the dead-ball was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Maybe it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”