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Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a record-breaking Anfield attacker, Arne Slot remarked on the weekend. Therefore, judgment must be harsh, but as the UK's most expensive footballer sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the Premier League title holders attempted unsuccessfully to secure an leveler against their rivals without them, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that earned the strongest scrutiny at the stadium. His backline structure has vanished.

Anonymous Performance from Key Attackers

Indeed, Isak was mostly quiet in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger disappointing again as his personal struggles persisted against the club he usually scores against. The Sweden player had his first attempt on goal in the top division as a Liverpool member in the 35th minute, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. The forward missed a golden second-half opportunity in front of the Kop and neither protest when their numbers eventually. Cody Gakpo also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions and inexplicably was unable to score a another goal moments after the defender's winner.

Unthinkable Defeat Despite Opportunities

It ought to have been unthinkable for the hosts to be defeated in a match in which they created numerous opportunities, the manager remarked. But it is possible with a backline in such condition, as Crystal Palace, another rival and currently United have shown.

Backline Collapse Under Pressure

While overseeing a fourth consecutive defeat as the club's manager, the first man to achieve this after a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Filled with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on fixing after the pause, including yet another set-piece score, it was a display that totally derailed the title holders' second half recovery and lost them the match.

Momentum Lost Despite Uptick

The upper hand was finally with the hosts when the substitute equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. The Merseyside club could sense one more late win with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further last-gasp top-flight loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s set-piece weaknesses re-emerged and the defender found himself one of three United members free past the centre-back in the closing stages.

Organized Opposition Outperform

A powerful goal into the net that Maguire missed in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest win of his turbulent club reign. For all the criticism around the coach it was his squad that performed with clear purpose and a smartly implemented plan for the majority of a thrilling contest. The first consecutive Premier League wins of Amorim’s reign were the outcome. The Liverpool team again appeared like strangers at points, especially when allowing a dead-ball score for the fifth occasion in the division this season.

Quick Opener Reveals Defensive Flaws

The home side were lacking from the inception to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the first header from the captain, a probable consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the ball, to be fair, and little challenge on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and released the winger in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to react, the centre-back slow to recover and mark the forward's run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the position.

Officiating and Focus Issues

Slot could justifiably point to his head and ask why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious history, but also question the concentration and coordination levels his backline. The forward's strike means the side have kept only two shutouts in a dozen games so far, the most recent occurring eight games previously at another ground.

Constant Exploitation of Left Flank

The visitors exposed Liverpool’s left side frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, another player and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the away team's advantage. Sending Diallo quickly against the full-back was obviously in Amorim’s gameplan. It succeeded time and again in the first 45 minutes. The £40m summer signing from his former club endured another difficult evening in a Liverpool shirt. Throw-ins were even a issue for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost put Mbeumo through while attempting one interception. Kerkez and the captain appear on different wavelengths at present.

Coach's Analysis and Acknowledgment

“We take a lot of risks,” the head coach commented after the opposition's victory. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking members on the pitch. This is perhaps why our structure for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Normally we would have more defending players on the pitch. Maybe it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to do better.”