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Now is the moment to begin evaluating Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Liverpool centre forward, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. As such, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s costliest player sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the Premier League champions tried in vain to force an leveler against Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's underperforming offence that warranted the strongest criticism at the stadium. The team's backline structure has evaporated.

Quiet Display from Star Forwards

Yes, Isak was largely anonymous in the centre-forward role and the Egyptian winger again poor as his personal struggles continued against the team he often plunders. The Swedish player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Liverpool member in the first half, well saved by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah missed a glorious second-half opportunity facing the home end and could not complain when their substitution came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and somehow failed to net a second moments after the defender's decisive goal.

Unthinkable Defeat Despite Chances

It should have been impossible for Liverpool to lose a game in which they created numerous chances, Slot stated. But it is possible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and now United have shown.

Defensive Breakdown Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first person to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that allowed the visitors to take the initiative as well as their first victory at the ground since January 2016. Littered with the same mistakes that the team's coaching staff had worked on eradicating after the international break, featuring another dead-ball goal, it was a display that completely undermined the champions’ second half recovery and lost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Despite Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the hosts when Gakpo equalized the forward's early opener. Liverpool could feel another late win with replacements one attacker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late Premier League loss, 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 Opposition Excel

A powerful header into the goal that Maguire missed in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his challenging United tenure. For all the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with definite plan and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a compelling contest. The initial consecutive league victories of the manager's reign were the result. The Liverpool side again looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Quick Goal Exposes Backline Flaws

The home side were lacking from the start to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the initial header from the captain, a probable consequence of having to pass opponents to reach the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right. the defender was slow to respond, Van Dijk delayed to track back and mark the forward's run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Questions

Slot could reasonably point to his head and wonder why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the focus and communication among his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike means the team have kept only a couple of clean sheets in 12 matches so far, the most recent occurring many matches ago at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Defensive Side

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and also Gakpo all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Releasing the winger early against the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s tactic. It worked repeatedly in the first half. The £40m new arrival from Bournemouth endured a further tough evening in a club shirt. Throw-ins were also a problem for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly put the forward through while attempting an challenge. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Manager’s Explanation and Acknowledgment

“We take a many risks,” Slot commented following United’s win. “Following the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking players on the field. This is maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was less organized as we typically are. Usually we would have more defending players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”