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It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Liverpool centre forward, the Liverpool head coach commented on the weekend. Therefore, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions attempted unsuccessfully to secure an leveler against their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring forward line that warranted the fiercest blame at the stadium. His defensive foundation has evaporated.

Anonymous Performance from Key Forwards

Indeed, 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 plunders. The Sweden player had his initial shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds member in the 35th minute, well saved by United’s latest goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward missed a golden second-half opportunity in front of the Kop and neither complain when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to net a second shortly after the defender's winner.

Impossible Loss In Spite of Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they generated plenty of opportunities, the manager remarked. But it is possible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently United have demonstrated.

Backline Collapse During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth consecutive defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first person to do so after a previous manager in years past, Slot must have despaired at a defence display that invited United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Filled with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on solving after the pause, featuring another set-piece goal, it was a performance that completely undermined the title holders' second half comeback and lost them the game.

Advantage Squandered Even with Uptick

Momentum was finally with the home side when the substitute cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could sense one more late victory with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward igniting improvement and United in retreat. Instead, it was another last-gasp top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself one of three United players unmarked past Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A powerful header into the net that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the finest victory of his turbulent United tenure. Despite the negativity around Amorim it was his team that played with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan 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 allowing a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Quick Opener Exposes Backline Issues

The home side were lacking from the start to the finish of the attacker's 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to go through two players to connect with the ball, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, Van Dijk slow to recover and mark the forward's run while the goalkeeper, deputising for the unavailable Alisson in net, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

Slot could justifiably question his decisions and wonder where the foul was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also question the concentration and communication levels his defenders. The forward's goal indicates the side have kept only two clean sheets in 12 matches this season, the last coming many matches ago at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Defensive Side

United carved open Liverpool’s left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and also the attacker all nearly scored to increasing the away team's lead. Sending the winger early against Kerkez was obviously part of Amorim’s strategy. It worked time and again in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from his former club experienced a further difficult match in a Liverpool shirt. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly sent Mbeumo in on goal while making one interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Explanation and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” the head coach explained after the opposition's victory. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple offensive players on the field. That’s perhaps why our organization for the set-piece was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. We know we have to improve.”