Liverpool’s season plunged into deeper crisis with a shocking 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
After losing to Manchester City before the international break, Arne Slot’s side were desperate for a reaction. Instead, the defending champions produced another lifeless performance and suffered their sixth Premier League defeat in seven games.
Forest, battling near the bottom of the table, arrived with a clear plan: stay compact, frustrate Liverpool and strike whenever the opportunity appeared. They executed it perfectly, while the Reds once again looked slow, predictable and fragile at the back.
Match Overview
From the first whistle Liverpool dominated possession, pushed Forest back and spent long spells around the visitors’ penalty area. But as has become a worrying trend this season, the final ball was poor and the finishing even worse.
The champions lacked tempo in their passing and movement. Wide players found little space, central combinations broke down and the front line rarely tested the goalkeeper despite the territorial control.
Forest, meanwhile, were patient. They sat in a tight block, waited for mistakes and trusted that chances would come – and Liverpool obliged.
First Half: From Control to Collapse
The turning point of the first half came in the 33rd minute. Liverpool conceded a completely unnecessary corner, then failed to deal with the delivery.
The ball bounced around the six-yard box, red shirts hesitated and Murillo reacted quickest, stabbing the ball past Alisson from close range to give Forest a 1–0 lead and stun Anfield.
Instead of sparking an angry response, the goal seemed to drain Liverpool’s confidence. The passing became slower, the movement more static and the crowd increasingly anxious. Forest reached half-time in front without facing a serious onslaught.
33’ – Goal, 0–1 Nottingham Forest
A needless corner conceded by Liverpool leads to a scramble in the area. Murillo pounces on the loose ball and finishes from close range, beating Alisson to put Forest ahead.
Second Half: Anfield in Shock
Whatever message Slot sent in the dressing room was wiped out in less than a minute.
Straight from kick-off in the second half, Forest cut through Liverpool again. Former Red Neco Williams found space inside the box and slid a low pass across goal to Nicolo Savona, who finished calmly into the corner to make it 2–0.
Anfield was stunned. Liverpool looked shell-shocked, their body language flat and their structure broken. Passes went astray, attacks died on the edge of the box and Forest grew more confident with every minute.
Slot threw on attacking options in search of a lifeline, but nothing stuck. Forest defended with discipline and waited for one more moment to finish the game – and it arrived in the 78th minute.
A long-range effort forced Alisson into a save, but he could only parry the ball back into danger. Morgan Gibbs-White reacted first, meeting the rebound and smashing it into the roof of the net for 3–0, triggering wild celebrations in the away end and sending home fans to the exits.
46’ – Goal, 0–2 Nottingham Forest
Less than a minute after the restart, Neco Williams squares the ball across the box to Nicolo Savona, who finishes inside the area to double Forest’s lead and silence Anfield.
78’ – Goal, 0–3 Nottingham Forest
Alisson parries a powerful shot, but Morgan Gibbs-White reaches the rebound first and fires high into the net to complete a famous win for Forest and a nightmare for Liverpool.
Numbers and Narratives: A Defence in Pieces
The scoreline tells only part of the story. Liverpool’s defensive record, once a foundation of their success, has collapsed. After boasting the best back line in the league last season, Slot’s side have now conceded more goals after 12 games than they did in all 38 league matches of the previous campaign.
The balance of the team looks wrong. The midfield leaves too much space in transition, the back line is constantly exposed and individual errors keep creeping in at key moments. At the other end, the attack lacks sharpness and conviction, with big names struggling to influence games when the team is behind.
What It Means for Liverpool
This Liverpool 0–3 Nottingham Forest defeat feels bigger than just another bad result. It raises serious questions about the direction of the team under Arne Slot, the mentality of the squad and the chances of mounting any kind of title defence.
With the top of the table already drifting away, the immediate goal may need to shift from chasing the championship to simply stabilising form and staying in the race for Champions League qualification.
Liverpool must now find answers quickly – on the training pitch, in team selection and in mentality. If this slide continues much longer, Anfield’s worst fears about this season could become reality.