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The time has come to begin evaluating Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool striker, Arne Slot commented on Friday. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced player was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the English top-flight champions attempted unsuccessfully to force an leveler versus Manchester United without them, it was not Slot’s underperforming offence that deserved the fiercest blame at the stadium. The team's backline structure has disappeared.

Quiet Display from Star Forwards

Indeed, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the No 9 position and Salah again poor as his individual toils continued versus the team he often scores against. The Swedish player had his initial attempt on goal in the top division as a Reds player in the first half, smartly stopped by United’s latest goalkeeper the young keeper. Salah missed a excellent after the break chance facing the Kop and neither protest when their substitution came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to score a second shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It ought to have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they created numerous chances, the manager stated. But it is not impossible with a defence in current state, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and now United have demonstrated.

Defensive Collapse Under Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool manager, the first person to achieve this since Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have despaired at a defence display that allowed the visitors to take the initiative as well as their first victory at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on solving following the pause, including another set-piece score, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime recovery and lost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Even with Improvement

Momentum was at last with the home side when the substitute cancelled out the forward's quick breakthrough. Liverpool could feel another last-minute win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and United in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further last-gasp Premier League defeat, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball frailties resurfaced and the defender found himself one of three opposition members free behind the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Opposition Excel

A thumping header into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent club tenure. Despite the criticism around Amorim it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first back-to-back league wins of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool team again appeared like unfamiliar at times, especially when allowing a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the division this season.

Quick Goal Reveals Backline Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the finish of Mbeumo’s quick-fire first goal. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the ball, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow the forward's run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Issues

The manager could justifiably point to his head and ask why the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty history, but also question the concentration and coordination among his backline. Mbeumo’s strike indicates the side have managed only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games so far, the last coming many matches ago at another ground.

Repeated Exploitation of Left Flank

United carved open Liverpool’s left side frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and even Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Releasing the winger early versus Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's strategy. It worked repeatedly in the first half. The £40m new arrival from Bournemouth endured a further tough match in a club shirt. Throw-ins were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who almost sent the forward through while making an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present.

Manager’s Explanation and Acknowledgment

“We take a lot of risks,” Slot explained after United’s win. “Following the 62nd minute we had six or seven offensive players on the pitch. That’s maybe why our organization for the dead-ball was less organized as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defending players on the field. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. We know we have to improve.”