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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak fairly as a £125m Anfield striker, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. Therefore, judgment must be harsh, but as the UK's costliest player sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the Premier League title holders tried in vain to force an leveler versus their rivals without them, it was not the manager's underperforming forward line that earned the fiercest blame at Anfield. The team's defensive foundation has disappeared.

Quiet Performance from Key Attackers

Yes, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the No 9 position and Salah disappointing again as his difficulties persisted versus the team he often plunders. The Swedish player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds player in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's latest goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward missed a glorious second-half opportunity facing the Kop and neither protest when their substitution were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably was unable to score a second shortly after the defender's decisive goal.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It should have been impossible for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they created numerous chances, the manager stated. But it is not impossible with a defence in such condition, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and now United have demonstrated.

Defensive Collapse During Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth successive loss as the club's manager, the first person to achieve this since Brendan Rodgers in years past, the coach must have been frustrated at a backline effort that invited United to dominate as well as their first victory at Anfield since January 2016. Littered with the identical errors that the team's management had focused on fixing after the pause, featuring another dead-ball goal, it was a performance that completely derailed the title holders' second half recovery and lost them the match.

Momentum Lost Despite Improvement

Momentum was at last with the hosts when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. Liverpool could feel one more late win with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward igniting improvement and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late top-flight loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s dead-ball frailties resurfaced and the defender found himself among several opposition players free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A powerful header into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest victory of his turbulent club tenure. Despite the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that played with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented approach for the majority of a thrilling encounter. The first consecutive league victories of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool team once more looked like strangers at points, especially when allowing a set-piece goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Goal Reveals Defensive Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the start to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable consequence of having to go through two players to reach the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and passed to the winger in open area on the right flank. the defender was slow to respond, Van Dijk delayed to track back and follow Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

Slot could reasonably point to his head and ask where the foul was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also question the focus and coordination among his defenders. The forward's goal means the team have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the most recent occurring eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Targeting of Defensive Side

The visitors carved open the left side frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and also the attacker all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Releasing the winger early against the full-back was clearly part of the manager's gameplan. It succeeded time and again in the first 45 minutes. The £40 million summer signing from his former club experienced another tough match in a club shirt. Throw-ins were also a issue for the previous player's replacement, who nearly sent the forward through while making one interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at the moment.

Manager’s Explanation and Admission

“We take a lot of gambles,” Slot commented after the opposition's victory. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple offensive players on the field. That’s perhaps why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defending players on the field. Maybe it is a coincidence but it is no justification. We know we have to do better.”