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The time has come to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Liverpool striker, the Liverpool head coach commented on the weekend. Therefore, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s highest-priced player was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the Premier League champions struggled to secure an equaliser versus their rivals in their absence, it was not the manager's underperforming attack that warranted the fiercest criticism at Anfield. The team's defensive foundation has disappeared.

Anonymous Display from Star Forwards

Indeed, Isak was mostly quiet in the centre-forward position and Salah disappointing again as his personal struggles persisted against the club he typically plunders. The Swedish international had his first shot on target in the top division as a Liverpool member in the first half, well saved by United’s latest shot-stopper the young keeper. The forward missed a excellent after the break chance in front of the home end and neither protest when their numbers eventually. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably failed to score a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s winner.

Impossible Defeat In Spite of Chances

It seemed impossible for the hosts to be defeated in a game in which they created so many opportunities, the manager stated. But it is possible with a defence in this form, as one opponent, another rival and currently United have shown.

Defensive Breakdown Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth consecutive defeat as the club's manager, the first man to achieve this after Brendan Rodgers in years past, Slot must have felt dismayed at a backline effort that invited United to seize control as well as their initial win at Anfield since January 2016. Filled with the same mistakes that the team's coaching staff had focused on fixing following the international break, including another dead-ball score, it was a display that completely derailed the title holders' after halftime comeback and lost them the match.

Advantage Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was finally with the home side when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. The Merseyside club could feel another late win with substitutes one attacker, a midfielder and another forward igniting progress and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further late top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's set-piece frailties resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three opposition members free past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Purposeful Opposition Outperform

A thumping header into the goal that the player missed in the final moments of last season’s tie gave the United manager the best win of his turbulent United tenure. For all the criticism surrounding the coach it was his team that played with definite plan and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial back-to-back league wins of the manager's time in charge were the result. Slot’s team once more looked like strangers at points, particularly when conceding a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign.

Early Opener Reveals Defensive Flaws

Liverpool were exposed from the inception to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to pass two players to connect with the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he took possession and passed to the winger in space on the right. the defender was slow to react, Van Dijk delayed to recover and follow Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in net, was easily beaten from the position.

Officiating and Concentration Issues

The manager could justifiably point to his decisions and wonder why the foul was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also doubt the concentration and communication among his backline. Mbeumo’s strike indicates the side have managed only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games this season, the last coming eight games previously at Burnley.

Constant Targeting of Defensive Side

The visitors exposed the left side frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even Gakpo all came close to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Releasing the winger quickly against the full-back was obviously part of the manager's gameplan. It worked repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced another tough evening in a club jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who nearly sent Mbeumo in on goal while making one interception. The defender and the captain appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Coach's Explanation and Acknowledgment

“We take a lot of risks,” Slot commented following the opposition's win. “After the second half we had multiple attacking members on the field. This is maybe why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Normally we would have more defending players on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”