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The time has come to commence assessing Alexander Isak fairly as a £125 million Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach stated on Friday. As such, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s costliest footballer was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the Premier League champions struggled to secure an leveler against their rivals without them, it was not Slot’s misfiring attack that deserved the harshest criticism at Anfield. The team's backline structure has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Key Forwards

Indeed, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger subpar once more as his personal struggles continued versus the club he usually plunders. The Swedish player had his first attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the 35th minute, well saved by United’s new goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward missed a excellent after the break opportunity in front of the Kop and neither complain when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also struck the crossbar three times and inexplicably was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Opportunities

It seemed unthinkable for Liverpool to lose a match in which they created numerous opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a backline in such condition, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and now United have demonstrated.

Defensive Breakdown Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth successive defeat as the club's manager, the first man to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, Slot must have despaired at a defensive performance that invited United to seize control as well as their first victory at the ground in nearly a decade. Littered with the identical errors that Liverpool’s management had focused on solving following the pause, including another set-piece score, it was a performance that completely derailed the title holders' second half recovery and cost them the game.

Advantage Lost Despite Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick breakthrough. The Merseyside club could feel another late win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further late Premier League loss, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses re-emerged and the defender found himself among several opposition players unmarked past Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Rivals Outperform

A thumping goal into the net that Maguire blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his turbulent United reign. For all the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed approach for the majority of a compelling encounter. The initial consecutive league wins of Amorim’s time in charge were the outcome. Slot’s side once more looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign.

Quick Goal Reveals Defensive Flaws

The home side were exposed from the inception to the execution of the attacker's 62-second first goal. There was no purchase on the initial attempt from the captain, a probable consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the ball, admittedly, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in open area on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, the centre-back delayed to track back and mark Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Focus Issues

Slot could justifiably point to his decisions and ask where the whistle was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a contentious history, but also doubt the focus and coordination among his defenders. The forward's goal means the side have kept only two clean sheets in 12 matches this season, the most recent coming eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Defensive Side

United carved open the left side repeatedly in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and also the attacker all came close to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Releasing Diallo early against Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's tactic. It succeeded repeatedly in the opening half. The £40m new arrival from his former club experienced another difficult match in a Liverpool jersey. Throw-ins were also a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost sent Mbeumo in on goal while making one interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a many gambles,” Slot explained after the opposition's victory. “Following the second half we had multiple attacking members on the field. This is 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 coincidence but it is no justification. We know we have to improve.”