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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak fairly as a £125m Anfield striker, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. In that case, evaluation needs to be severe, but as the UK's most expensive player was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the Premier League champions tried in vain to force an leveler versus their rivals in their absence, it was not the manager's misfiring forward line that earned the strongest criticism at Anfield. The team's defence has disappeared.

Quiet Display from Star Forwards

Yes, the Swedish striker was predominantly unnoticeable in the No 9 position and Salah again poor as his personal struggles continued versus the club he often plunders. The Swedish player had his first attempt on goal in the top division as a Reds player in the first half, well saved by the opposition's new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward missed a golden after the break opportunity facing the Kop and could not protest when their substitution were shown. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork three times and somehow was unable to score a another goal moments after the defender's decisive goal.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Chances

It seemed impossible for the hosts to be defeated in a game in which they created so many opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a backline in such condition, as one opponent, another rival and currently Manchester United have shown.

Defensive Collapse During Pressure

While overseeing a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first person to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have felt dismayed at a defence display that invited United to dominate 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 international break, including yet another set-piece score, it was a performance that totally derailed the title holders' after halftime recovery and lost them the game.

Momentum Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when the substitute cancelled out the forward's early breakthrough. Liverpool could feel another late win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was another last-gasp Premier League loss, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and the defender found himself one of three opposition members free past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A thumping goal into the goal that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest victory of his challenging club tenure. Despite the criticism surrounding the coach it was his squad that played with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first back-to-back league victories of the manager's time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool side once more looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when allowing a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League this season.

Quick Opener Reveals Backline Issues

Liverpool were found wanting from the start to the execution of the attacker's 62-second first goal. There was no purchase on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable result of having to go through two players to reach the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in space on the right. the defender was slow to react, the centre-back delayed to track back and follow the forward's run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the unavailable first-choice keeper in net, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

Slot could reasonably question his decisions and wonder where the whistle was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also doubt the concentration and communication among his defenders. The forward's strike indicates Slot’s side have kept only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games this season, the most recent coming eight games ago at another ground.

Repeated Targeting of Left Flank

United exposed Liverpool’s left flank repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Releasing Diallo quickly versus the full-back was obviously in the manager's strategy. It succeeded repeatedly in the opening 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further tough match in a club shirt. Set-pieces were also a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost put the forward through while making one challenge. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Coach's Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a many risks,” Slot explained following United’s victory. “After the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking members on the pitch. That’s maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have more defending personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”