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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak fairly as a record-breaking Liverpool centre forward, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. As such, evaluation needs to be severe, but as the UK's most expensive footballer sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight title holders struggled to force an equaliser against Manchester United without them, it was not the manager's misfiring attack that earned the fiercest criticism at Anfield. The team's defensive foundation has evaporated.

Anonymous Performance from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was mostly quiet in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger again poor as his individual toils continued against the team he typically scores against. The Swedish international had his initial attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool member in the 35th minute, well saved by United’s latest goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward wasted a glorious second-half chance facing the home end and could not protest when their numbers were shown. Cody Gakpo also hit the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to score a second shortly after the defender's winner.

Impossible Loss Despite Chances

It should have been impossible for the hosts to lose a match in which they created so many chances, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a defence in current state, as one opponent, Chelsea and now United have proven.

Backline Collapse Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight defeat as Liverpool manager, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in years past, Slot must have been frustrated at a defence display that invited United to dominate as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Filled with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on eradicating following the pause, including another set-piece goal, it was a display that completely undermined the title holders' second half comeback and cost them the match.

Momentum Squandered Even with Uptick

The upper hand was finally with the hosts when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could feel one more late win with substitutes one attacker, a midfielder and another forward igniting improvement and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further late top-flight defeat, the third in succession, after Liverpool’s set-piece frailties resurfaced and the defender found himself among several United players unmarked past the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Purposeful Opposition Excel

A thumping header into the net that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave the United manager the best victory of his turbulent club tenure. Despite the criticism surrounding the coach it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a smartly implemented approach for the majority of a compelling contest. The first consecutive Premier League wins of the manager's time in charge were the result. Slot’s side again appeared like unfamiliar at points, particularly when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Early Goal Exposes Backline Issues

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the execution of the attacker's 62-second first goal. There was little impact on the first header from the captain, a probable consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the pass, admittedly, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and passed to the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, Van Dijk slow to recover and mark Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured Alisson in goal, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Refereeing and Concentration Issues

Slot could reasonably point to his head and wonder where the whistle was from the referee, an official with whom he has a contentious history, but also question the focus and coordination levels his backline. The forward's strike indicates the team have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last coming eight games ago at Burnley.

Repeated Targeting of Defensive Side

United exposed Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even Gakpo all nearly scored to increasing the away team's lead. Releasing the winger quickly against the full-back was clearly part of the manager's strategy. It succeeded repeatedly in the first half. The £40m summer signing from Bournemouth experienced a further tough evening in a Liverpool shirt. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who almost sent the forward through while attempting one interception. Kerkez and the captain seem on not in sync at present.

Manager’s Explanation and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” the head coach explained following the opposition's win. “After the second half we had multiple offensive players on the field. This is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Usually we would have more defensive personnel on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”