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Now is the moment to commence assessing Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Liverpool striker, the Liverpool head coach commented on Friday. As such, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s costliest footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the Premier League champions struggled to force an leveler versus Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's underperforming attack that earned the fiercest blame at the stadium. The team's defence has evaporated.

Quiet Performance from Key Attackers

Indeed, the Swedish striker was mostly anonymous in the centre-forward role and Salah again poor as his individual toils persisted against the team he typically plunders. The Sweden international had his first shot on target in the top division as a Reds member in the first half, excellently denied by United’s new shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward missed a golden second-half chance in front of the Kop and neither complain when their substitution were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork three times and somehow was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Opportunities

It seemed impossible for Liverpool to lose a game in which they created numerous opportunities, the manager stated. But it is not impossible with a backline in this form, as one opponent, another rival and now Manchester United have demonstrated.

Backline Collapse Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as the club's manager, the first person to achieve this after a previous manager in years past, the coach must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s management had focused on fixing after the pause, including another dead-ball goal, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ second half comeback and cost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Even with Improvement

The upper hand was finally with the home side when Gakpo equalized the forward's quick opener. Liverpool could feel another late victory with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and another forward igniting progress and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further late top-flight defeat, the third straight, after the team's set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three United players free past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Excel

A thumping goal into the goal that the player blazed over in the final moments of last season’s tie gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent United reign. Despite the criticism surrounding the coach it was his squad that performed with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan for the majority of a compelling encounter. The initial consecutive league wins of the manager's time in charge were the result. Slot’s side again looked like strangers at times, especially when allowing a set-piece goal for the fifth time in the Premier League this season.

Early Opener Reveals Defensive Flaws

Liverpool were exposed from the start to the execution of the attacker's 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely result of having to go through opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he took possession and passed to the winger in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to react, the centre-back delayed to recover and follow Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Officiating and Focus Questions

The manager could justifiably point to his head and wonder why the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty past, but also doubt the focus and coordination among his backline. Mbeumo’s goal indicates the side have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last coming eight games ago at another ground.

Repeated Targeting of Defensive Side

United exposed the left side frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, another player and even Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the away team's advantage. Releasing the winger quickly against Kerkez was clearly part of Amorim’s strategy. It worked repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40m new arrival from his former club experienced a further tough evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost put the forward in on goal while making an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“We take a lot of risks,” the head coach explained following United’s win. “Following the 62nd minute we had six or seven offensive members on the field. This is perhaps why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have additional defending players on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. We know we have to improve.”