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It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Liverpool striker, Arne Slot stated on Friday. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as Britain’s most expensive footballer sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool bench while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to secure an leveler against their rivals without them, it was not the manager's misfiring attack that earned the harshest scrutiny at the stadium. The team's defence has evaporated.

Quiet Performance from Star Attackers

Yes, the Swedish striker was mostly unnoticeable in the centre-forward position and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his personal struggles continued versus the team he often scores against. The Swedish player had his first attempt on goal in the top division as a Liverpool player in the first half, excellently denied by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah missed a golden after the break opportunity in front of the Kop and could not protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork three times and inexplicably failed to net a second shortly after the defender's winner.

Unthinkable Loss Despite Opportunities

It should have been unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they generated numerous opportunities, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a defence in current state, as Crystal Palace, another rival and currently Manchester United have proven.

Defensive Collapse During Pressure

As he presided over a fourth consecutive defeat as the club's head coach, the first person to do so since Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have felt dismayed at a defence display that invited the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Filled with the same mistakes that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on eradicating following the pause, including another set-piece score, it was a performance that totally derailed the champions’ after halftime comeback and lost them the game.

Momentum Lost Even with Improvement

Momentum was finally with the hosts when the substitute equalized the forward's quick opener. Liverpool could feel another last-minute victory with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and another forward sparking improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Rather, it was another late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after the team's dead-ball weaknesses resurfaced and Maguire found himself among several opposition players unmarked past the centre-back in the 84th minute.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A thumping goal into the goal that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the finest win of his challenging United reign. For all the criticism around the coach it was his team that played with definite plan and a smartly implemented approach for the bulk of a compelling contest. The initial consecutive Premier League wins of the manager's time in charge were the result. The Liverpool team once more appeared like unfamiliar at times, especially when allowing a dead-ball goal for the fifth occasion in the Premier League the current campaign.

Quick Opener Exposes Defensive Flaws

The home side were lacking from the start to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first attempt from the captain, a probable consequence of having to go through two players to connect with the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he received the ball and released the winger in open area on the right. the defender was slow to react, the centre-back delayed to recover and mark Mbeumo’s run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the unavailable first-choice keeper in net, was easily beaten from the position.

Refereeing and Focus Questions

Slot could reasonably point to his head and wonder why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also doubt the concentration and coordination among his defenders. The forward's goal indicates Slot’s team have kept only a couple of shutouts in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming many matches previously at another ground.

Repeated Exploitation of Defensive Side

The visitors exposed the left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and even Gakpo all came close to doubling the visitors’ advantage. Sending Diallo quickly against Kerkez was clearly in Amorim’s tactic. It succeeded time and again in the first 45 minutes. The £40m new arrival from his former club endured a further tough evening in a Liverpool jersey. Throw-ins were also a problem for the previous player's replacement, who nearly put the forward in on goal while attempting one challenge. The defender and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Explanation and Acknowledgment

“We take a many gambles,” the head coach explained after the opposition's win. “After the second half we had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. This is perhaps why our organization for the set-piece was less organized as we typically are. Normally we would have additional defensive players on the field. Maybe it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. The team understands we have to do better.”