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Now is the moment to commence assessing Alexander Isak justly as a £125m Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach remarked on Friday. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as the UK's highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to force an equaliser against their rivals without them, it was not Slot’s misfiring forward line that earned the fiercest criticism at Anfield. The team's defence has evaporated.

Quiet Performance from Star Attackers

Indeed, the Swedish striker was mostly quiet in the centre-forward role and Salah disappointing again as his individual toils continued versus the club he usually plunders. The Sweden player had his first attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Reds member in the first half, well saved by United’s latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward wasted a glorious after the break chance in front of the home end and neither complain when their substitution eventually. The Dutch attacker also hit the crossbar three times and inexplicably failed to score a another goal moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Unthinkable Loss Despite Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to lose a game in which they created so many opportunities, Slot stated. But it is not impossible with a backline in such condition, as one opponent, Chelsea and currently United have demonstrated.

Backline Collapse Under Pressure

As he presided over a fourth straight loss as the club's head coach, the first person to achieve this since a previous manager in November 2014, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to take the initiative as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that the team's management had focused on fixing following the international break, featuring yet another dead-ball goal, it was a display that completely undermined the title holders' second half comeback and cost them the game.

Advantage Lost Despite Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the hosts when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The Merseyside club could sense another last-minute victory with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and another forward igniting improvement and United in retreat. Instead, it was a further last-gasp top-flight defeat, the third straight, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses re-emerged and Maguire found himself one of three United members free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Excel

A thumping goal into the goal that the player blazed over in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the finest victory of his challenging club tenure. For all the criticism surrounding the coach it was his team that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The first back-to-back league wins of the manager's time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool team once more looked like strangers at points, especially when allowing a dead-ball score for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Quick Goal Reveals Backline Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the finish of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was no purchase on the first attempt from the captain, a likely result of having to pass opponents to connect with the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right. the defender was slow to react, Van Dijk delayed to track back and mark Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Refereeing and Concentration Issues

Slot could reasonably point to his decisions and wonder where the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike means the side have managed only two shutouts in a dozen games so far, the last coming many matches ago at Burnley.

Repeated Exploitation of Left Flank

United carved open the left flank frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the away team's lead. Releasing Diallo quickly versus Kerkez was clearly part of the manager's tactic. It succeeded repeatedly in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from his former club experienced a further difficult match in a Liverpool jersey. Throw-ins were even a problem for the previous player's replacement, who almost sent Mbeumo through while attempting an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at present.

Manager’s Analysis and Admission

“Our approach involves a lot of risks,” Slot commented following the opposition's win. “Following the second half we had multiple offensive players on the field. This is maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have more defensive personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”