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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak fairly as a £125m Liverpool striker, Arne Slot stated on Friday. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as the UK's highest-priced footballer was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to force an equaliser against Manchester United without them, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that earned the harshest criticism at the stadium. The team's backline structure has evaporated.

Quiet Performance from Key Forwards

Yes, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the No 9 position and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his difficulties continued against the team he often scores against. The Sweden international had his initial shot on target in the top division as a Reds player in the first half, well saved by United’s latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. Salah wasted a golden after the break opportunity facing the home end and neither protest when their numbers came up. Cody Gakpo also struck the crossbar three times and somehow was unable to net a another goal shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Defeat Despite Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for the hosts to lose a match in which they generated plenty of chances, the manager claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in such condition, as one opponent, Chelsea and currently United have shown.

Backline Collapse Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as the club's manager, the first person to do so after a previous manager in years past, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defence display that invited United to seize control as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s management had focused on solving following the international break, including yet another set-piece goal, it was a display that completely derailed the champions’ after halftime recovery and cost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Despite Uptick

Momentum was at last with the home side when the substitute cancelled out the forward's quick opener. Liverpool could feel one more late victory with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and United in defensive mode. Rather, it was another late top-flight loss, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s set-piece frailties resurfaced and Maguire found himself among several United players free past Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A thumping header into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s tie gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent club reign. For all the criticism around Amorim it was his team that played with obvious strategy and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial back-to-back Premier League wins of Amorim’s time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool team again looked like unfamiliar at times, especially when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League this season.

Quick Opener Exposes Backline Flaws

The home side were exposed from the inception to the execution of Mbeumo’s 62-second first goal. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on the playmaker when he took possession and released the winger in space on the right flank. the defender was late to respond, the centre-back slow to track back and follow the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, deputising for the unavailable first-choice keeper in net, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Officiating and Focus Questions

The manager could justifiably question his decisions and ask why the whistle was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a contentious history, but also doubt the concentration and coordination among his backline. Mbeumo’s goal means Slot’s team have kept only two shutouts in 12 matches this season, the most recent coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Constant 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 visitors’ advantage. Releasing Diallo quickly against Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's strategy. It worked time and again in the first 45 minutes. The £40m summer signing from his former club endured another difficult match in a Liverpool shirt. Set-pieces were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who nearly put Mbeumo through while attempting one challenge. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“We take a many risks,” the head coach explained following United’s victory. “After the second half we had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. That’s perhaps why our organization for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are. Normally we would have additional defending players on the field. Maybe it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”