Defence Woes Pose Larger Concern for Liverpool's Manager Compared to Getting Isak and Salah to Score

The time has come to begin evaluating Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach commented on Friday. As such, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the Premier League champions tried in vain to force an leveler against their rivals in their absence, it was not the manager's misfiring offence that earned the strongest criticism at Anfield. The team's defensive foundation has evaporated.

Anonymous Display from Key Attackers

Yes, Isak was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his individual toils persisted versus the team he usually scores against. The Swedish player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds member in the 35th minute, well saved by United’s new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. The forward missed a golden second-half chance facing the Kop and could not complain when their numbers came up. Cody Gakpo also struck the crossbar three times and somehow failed to score a another goal shortly after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal.

Impossible Defeat Despite Opportunities

It should have been impossible for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they created plenty of chances, the manager remarked. But it is not impossible with a backline in such condition, as one opponent, another rival and now United have demonstrated.

Backline Collapse Under Scrutiny

As he presided over a fourth successive loss as the club's head coach, the first man to do so since a previous manager in years past, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited United to seize control as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Littered with the same mistakes that the team's coaching staff had worked on solving after the international break, featuring another set-piece goal, it was a display that completely derailed the title holders' second half recovery and cost them the game.

Momentum Lost Even with Improvement

The upper hand was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized the forward's quick opener. The Merseyside club could feel one more last-minute win with replacements one attacker, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and United in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after Liverpool’s set-piece frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several opposition players unmarked past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Rivals Outperform

A powerful header into the net that the player missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest victory of his challenging United tenure. Despite the negativity around the coach it was his team that performed with definite plan and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The initial back-to-back Premier League victories of the manager's reign were the outcome. Slot’s side once more appeared like unfamiliar at times, particularly when conceding a set-piece score for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign.

Quick Goal Reveals Defensive Flaws

Liverpool were lacking from the inception to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire first goal. There was no purchase on the first attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a likely consequence of having to pass two players to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, the centre-back slow to track back and mark the forward's movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in goal, was easily beaten from the angle.

Officiating and Concentration Questions

Slot could reasonably point to his head and ask why the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty past, but also doubt the focus and coordination levels his backline. The forward's strike means the side have kept only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games this season, the most recent coming eight games ago at another ground.

Repeated Exploitation of Defensive Side

The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and even Gakpo all nearly scored to doubling the visitors’ lead. Releasing Diallo early versus the full-back was clearly in Amorim’s tactic. It worked repeatedly in the first 45 minutes. The £40m summer signing from his former club experienced a further difficult evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who nearly put Mbeumo through while attempting an challenge. The defender and the captain appear on different wavelengths at the moment.

Coach's Analysis and Acknowledgment

“Our approach involves a lot of risks,” the head coach explained following United’s victory. “Following the second half we had six or seven offensive members on the pitch. That’s maybe why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we usually are. Normally we would have additional defending players on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to improve.”