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The time has come to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a record-breaking Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach remarked on Friday. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s most expensive footballer sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the Premier League champions tried in vain to secure an equaliser versus their rivals without them, it was not the manager's misfiring attack that warranted the strongest criticism at Anfield. The team's backline structure has evaporated.

Anonymous Performance from Key Forwards

Indeed, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the No 9 position and Salah again poor as his difficulties continued against the club he often scores against. The Swedish player had his first shot on target in the top division as a Reds member in the first half, smartly stopped by United’s new goalkeeper the young keeper. Salah wasted a excellent after the break chance in front of the home end and neither protest when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and somehow failed to score a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Unthinkable Loss In Spite of Chances

It seemed unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they created so many opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in current state, as one opponent, Chelsea and currently Manchester United have shown.

Backline Breakdown During Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth consecutive defeat as Liverpool head coach, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that invited United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s management had worked on fixing after the international break, featuring another set-piece score, it was a display that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime comeback and cost them the game.

Advantage Lost Even with Uptick

Momentum was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized the forward's early opener. Liverpool could sense one more late win with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa sparking improvement and the opposition in retreat. Instead, it was another last-gasp Premier League defeat, the third in succession, after the team's dead-ball frailties resurfaced and the defender found himself among several United members free past the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A powerful header into the goal that the player blazed over in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his turbulent club tenure. Despite the negativity surrounding the coach it was his team that played with clear purpose and a smartly implemented approach for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first consecutive league victories of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool side once more appeared like strangers at points, especially when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Quick Goal Exposes Defensive Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the start to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire first goal. There was little impact on the initial header from the captain, a likely result of having to go through two players to connect with the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in space on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to react, the centre-back slow to track back and follow the forward's movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable first-choice keeper in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Concentration Questions

The manager could reasonably point to his head and wonder why the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the focus and communication among his backline. The forward's goal indicates the team have managed only two shutouts in 12 matches so far, the most recent coming eight games ago at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Defensive Side

United carved open Liverpool’s left flank repeatedly in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and also Gakpo all came close to increasing the away team's advantage. Releasing Diallo quickly versus Kerkez was obviously in Amorim’s tactic. It succeeded time and again in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced another tough evening in a club shirt. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly put the forward through while making an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at the moment.

Coach's Explanation and Admission

“We take a lot of risks,” Slot commented after United’s victory. “After the second half we had multiple offensive members on the field. That’s perhaps why our organization for the dead-ball was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have additional defensive players on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to improve.”