Only 7 passes! The Premier League champion has become a parallel import. Slott should not use him in the starting lineup.

January 17, 2016 was the last time Liverpool lost to their old rival Manchester United at Anfield. That day, it was Rooney's goal that sealed the victory for the Red Devils. Times have changed, and since then Liverpool have won the league title twice, while their old rivals have never been able to get involved again. Amorim walked into this showdown with little hope. It's true that Liverpool's form has been sluggish recently, but the Red Devils' performance since the Portuguese took over at Manchester United is equally concerning. However, it was under his leadership that Manchester United won at Anfield for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Compared to Amorim's high spirits, Liverpool coach Slott is a little downcast. This 2-1 defeat was hard to digest. Liverpool hit the post multiple times and had a higher expected goals (xG) than their opponents, but failed to capitalize on their chances. Gakpo once equalized the score, but Harry Maguire's header before the end caused the home team to suffer its third consecutive league defeat. Today, Liverpool is 4 points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race. That's really worrying considering the investment they've put into this summer.

So, what exactly is Liverpool’s problem? Blame bad luck? Strange things can happen when luck isn't on your side, and that was exactly what Slaughter's team did on Sunday night. Before scoring from close range in the second half, Gakpo hit the woodwork three times, the most impressive of which came when Liverpool launched a counterattack. The Dutchman was given enough space to sprint towards the penalty area, but hit the ball against the post. Liverpool could and should have equalized earlier. On another day, they might be able to win the game. The outcome of the Premier League is often decided by a thin line.

However, Liverpool's problem is not just a weak front line. Last season, Liverpool's defense was rock solid, but now they are paying the price for their failure to further strengthen their central defenders. Milos Kerkoz has joined but is still adapting to Liverpool's rhythm, with Amad Diallo and Brian Mbeumo frequently attacking his left-side defence. Perhaps the most concerning, however, is captain Van Dijk. He has been out of position on a number of occasions this season and he could have handled the first goal better. Mbeumo easily rounded the tall Dutchman and scored from Amad's exquisite pass.

Whether Van Dijk's condition has declined remains to be discussed. But a more pressing question is the status of the Premier League's all-time great. Liverpool appear to have won the transfer window this summer. £116m to sign Florian Wirtz? no problem. £125m to bring in Alexander Isaac? OK. The Swede's transfer was nothing short of dramatic. He refused to participate in Newcastle's pre-season tour, then went on a public strike from training, before eventually joining Anfield as he wished. However, he has scored just once since joining Merseyside and has struggled with fitness issues as he has not played in pre-season.

Before the game against Manchester United, Slott said: "It is time for him to be judged fairly. Physically, he is close to where he should be and we can start to fairly evaluate him."

Let us judge him. Unfortunately, the performance of the Premier League's historical champion was not ideal. For the sixth game in a row, the centre-forward failed to find the back of the net, something he should have done at Anfield this weekend. Isak made only 7 passes and completed two shots, missing a major opportunity defined by OPTA, one of which hit the right foot of goalkeeper Sene Lamenz directly. The GOAL website gave him a low score of 4 points, noting that the forward was "extremely disappointed with his performance."

At Newcastle last season, when goals came pouring in, he would never miss such an opportunity, such was his ruthless nature. You could say he's not quite back sharp yet, but as Slott said, he's ready now. It's tough to bench the most expensive signing in the club's history, but Isaac's lackluster form has had a knock-on effect, especially on Hugo Ekitic - perhaps Liverpool's best player so far this season.

The Frenchman scored 5 goals and contributed 1 assist in the first 8 games of the season and is in hot form. He's ruthless in the frontcourt, showing off all of Isaac's qualities over the past few seasons and looking even more complete.

Since Ekitic stopped starting frequently, Liverpool's form has begun to decline. This is no coincidence. Liverpool have lost all three of Isaac's Premier League starts. It's time for Ekitic to return to the starting XI this Wednesday against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.