NOTTINGHAM FOREST CONDEMN LIVERPOOL TO 3-0 DEFEAT AT ANFIELD AS PRESSURE MOUNTS ON ARNE SLOT
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By: Sefiu Ajape
Liverpool’s nightmare season plunged to new depths as they were swept aside with alarming ease by a revitalised Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s Premier League champions had hoped to respond positively after their heavy defeat to Manchester City, but instead found themselves overrun by a Forest side transformed under new manager Sean Dyche and playing with confidence and authority.
Slot handed a start to £125m British-record signing Alexander Isak, yet the striker was anonymous once again and was withdrawn after 67 ineffective minutes. By then, Liverpool were already sinking.
Forest took the lead after 33 minutes when Murillo powered a low drive beyond the returning Alisson, silencing a tense Anfield. Igor Jesus thought he had made it 2–0 shortly after, but his effort was ruled out for handball.
The visitors did extend their lead just 47 seconds into the second half, former Liverpool defender Neco Williams teeing up Nicola Savona for a sharp finish in front of the Kop.
Liverpool, devoid of intensity and imagination, barely mustered a response. Forest added a third with 12 minutes remaining when Morgan Gibbs-White reacted quickest after Alisson had parried Omari Hutchinson’s effort.
The result leaves Liverpool with six defeats in their past seven Premier League matches, intensifying scrutiny on Slot’s £450m summer rebuild and raising serious questions about the direction of his side.
Isak, given another chance to spark his Anfield career, instead epitomised Liverpool’s lethargic display — barely touching the ball, offering no threat, and looking short on rhythm or confidence. His withdrawal for Federico Chiesa only underlined another flat performance.
But Isak was far from alone. Aside from Mohamed Salah, who at least carried a semblance of danger, the rest of Liverpool’s outfield players struggled badly.
The decline from last season’s title-winning form is startling, and Slot has yet to find solutions to their mounting problems. Retaining the crown already feels like a distant fantasy.
Slot’s substitutions reflected the desperation of the situation, with striker Hugo Ekitike introduced for defender Ibrahima Konate after just 54 minutes in an attempt to salvage something.
While Liverpool supporters voiced frustration, they stopped short of turning fully on the team.
Still, it was not just the defeat but the manner of it — passive, disjointed and devoid of belief — that will only heighten pressure on Slot to restore coherence and intensity to an expensively assembled squad that is performing far below expectations.
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