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It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool attacker, Arne Slot commented on Friday. As such, the assessment should be critical, but as the UK's costliest player sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the English top-flight title holders struggled to secure an equaliser against their rivals in their absence, it was not the manager's underperforming offence that deserved the strongest blame at the stadium. His defence has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Star Forwards

Indeed, Isak was mostly anonymous in the No 9 position and Salah disappointing again as his personal struggles persisted against the club he often scores against. The Sweden player had his initial shot on target in the top division as a Liverpool member in the first half, well saved by the opposition's latest goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward missed a excellent after the break opportunity facing the home end and could not protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and inexplicably failed to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Unthinkable Defeat Despite Chances

It should have been impossible for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they created so many opportunities, the manager stated. But it is possible with a defence in such condition, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently Manchester United have demonstrated.

Backline Breakdown During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth consecutive defeat as the club's manager, the first man to do so after a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that allowed United to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on eradicating following the pause, featuring another dead-ball goal, it was a performance that totally undermined the champions’ second half comeback and cost them the game.

Momentum Squandered Despite Uptick

Momentum was at last with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s quick breakthrough. Liverpool could feel one more late victory with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and another forward sparking improvement and United in defensive mode. Rather, it was another last-gasp Premier League loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself among several United members free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Outperform

A thumping goal into the goal that the player missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the best victory of his challenging United tenure. For all the negativity around the coach it was his squad that played with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented plan for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first back-to-back Premier League victories of the manager's time in charge were the result. The Liverpool side once more appeared like strangers at points, particularly when conceding a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League this season.

Quick Goal Exposes Defensive Issues

The home side were found wanting from the inception to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely result of having to pass opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and passed to the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in net, was easily beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Concentration Issues

The manager could reasonably question his decisions and wonder where the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the concentration and communication among his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike indicates Slot’s team have kept only two shutouts in a dozen games this season, the most recent coming many matches ago at Burnley.

Constant Targeting of Left Flank

The visitors carved open the left flank repeatedly in a opening period in which Fernandes, another player and also Gakpo all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Sending the winger early against the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s strategy. It succeeded time and again in the opening 45 minutes. The £40m new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further tough evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who nearly put Mbeumo in on goal while attempting one challenge. The defender and the captain seem on not in sync at present.

Coach's Analysis and Admission

“We take a lot of risks,” the head coach explained after United’s win. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking players on the pitch. This is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Normally we would have additional defensive personnel on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”