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The time has come to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Anfield attacker, the Liverpool head coach stated on Friday. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as the UK's costliest footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight title holders tried in vain to force an equaliser versus their rivals in their absence, it was not the manager's underperforming offence that earned the harshest blame at Anfield. The team's backline structure has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Indeed, Isak was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his difficulties persisted versus the club he typically scores against. The Swedish international had his initial attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, excellently denied by the opposition's latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. Salah wasted a excellent second-half chance facing the Kop and neither complain when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork three times and somehow failed to net a second moments after the defender's winner.

Impossible Defeat Despite Opportunities

It ought to have been impossible for the hosts to be defeated in a game in which they generated numerous chances, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in current state, as Crystal Palace, another rival and now United have proven.

Backline Collapse During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as Liverpool head coach, the first person to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have been frustrated at a backline effort that invited United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at Anfield since January 2016. Littered with the identical errors that the team's coaching staff had focused on fixing following the pause, including another dead-ball score, it was a performance that totally derailed the champions’ second half recovery and cost them the match.

Advantage Lost Despite Uptick

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could sense one more late win with substitutes one attacker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa sparking progress and United in retreat. Rather, it was a further last-gasp top-flight loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s dead-ball frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself one of three United players free past the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Opposition Outperform

A powerful goal into the net that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent club reign. Despite the criticism surrounding the coach it was his team that played with definite plan and a well-executed plan for the majority of a compelling encounter. The first consecutive Premier League wins of the manager's reign were the outcome. The Liverpool team again looked like unfamiliar at times, especially when conceding a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Early Goal Reveals Backline Issues

The home side were lacking from the start to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from the captain, a likely result of having to go through two players to reach the ball, to be fair, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released the winger in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was slow to respond, the centre-back delayed to track back and follow Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the unavailable first-choice keeper in net, was easily beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Focus Questions

Slot could justifiably question his decisions and wonder why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the concentration and communication levels his backline. Mbeumo’s strike indicates the team have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Constant Targeting of Defensive Side

United carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and even Gakpo all came close to doubling the away team's advantage. Sending Diallo quickly against the full-back was clearly in the manager's gameplan. It succeeded repeatedly in the first half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth endured another difficult match in a club jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who almost put Mbeumo through while making one interception. Kerkez and the captain seem on not in sync at the moment.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of risks,” Slot commented following the opposition's victory. “Following the second half we had six or seven attacking members on the pitch. That’s perhaps why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have additional defending players on the pitch. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”