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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool striker, the Liverpool head coach stated on Friday. As such, the assessment should be critical, but as the UK's costliest footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the Premier League title holders attempted unsuccessfully to force an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not the manager's misfiring offence that deserved the strongest scrutiny at the stadium. The team's backline structure has vanished.

Quiet Display from Star Forwards

Indeed, the Swedish striker was largely anonymous in the No 9 position and Salah subpar once more as his personal struggles persisted against the club he usually plunders. The Sweden player had his initial shot on target in the top division as a Liverpool player in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah wasted a glorious second-half chance in front of the home end and neither protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably failed to net a another goal shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Defeat Despite Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to lose a game in which they generated so many chances, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a backline in this form, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently Manchester United have proven.

Backline Breakdown Under Scrutiny

While overseeing a fourth straight loss as Liverpool manager, the first man to do so since Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have despaired at a defence display that allowed the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground since January 2016. Littered with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on solving following the international break, including another dead-ball goal, it was a display that completely derailed the title holders' after halftime recovery and lost them the match.

Momentum Lost Even with Improvement

The upper hand was finally with the home side when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. Liverpool could sense one more late win with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further late Premier League defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and the defender found himself among several opposition players free behind the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the net that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest win of his turbulent club reign. For all the criticism around Amorim it was his squad that played with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan for the majority of a compelling encounter. The first consecutive Premier League wins of Amorim’s reign were the result. Slot’s team once more appeared like unfamiliar at times, particularly when allowing a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Goal Reveals Defensive Issues

The home side were lacking from the start to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire first goal. There was little impact on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely consequence of having to go through opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was slow to respond, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in net, was easily beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Focus Questions

The manager could justifiably point to his decisions and wonder why the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the focus and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike means Slot’s team have managed only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

United exposed the left flank repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and also Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Releasing Diallo quickly versus Kerkez was obviously in the manager's tactic. It succeeded time and again in the opening half. The £40m summer signing from his former club experienced another tough evening in a Liverpool shirt. Set-pieces were also a problem for the previous player's replacement, who nearly sent Mbeumo through while making an challenge. The defender and the captain appear on not in sync at the moment.

Coach's Explanation and Acknowledgment

“We take a lot of risks,” the head coach explained following the opposition's win. “After the 62nd minute we had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. This is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have more defending personnel on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to do better.”