Liverpool’s slump continued with a dismal 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, their eighth loss in 11 matches in all competitions and a sixth in the Premier League. The defending champions have fallen into the bottom half of the table, and pressure is mounting on Arne Slot after yet another lifeless performance.
Liverpool emerged from the international break with more unwelcome injury news. Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz were ruled out, forcing Slot to push Dominik Szoboszlai to right-back, with Jeremie Frimpong still unavailable.
Milos Kerkez returned to the starting XI in place of Andy Robertson, while Alexander Isak was handed a start to build fitness ahead of the in-form Hugo Ekitike. Alisson also returned after seven weeks out.
Forest flipped the usual Anfield dynamic by making Liverpool attack the Kop in the first half, and they very nearly took the lead early on. Cody Gakpo weaved into the box, and Alexis Mac Allister’s lofted finish was headed off the line by Elliot Anderson.
Liverpool dominated possession and attempted to build patterns on the right, with Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones rotating roles in possession. Mohamed Salah looked sharper than he has for much of the season, creating space for Kerkez, who blasted over on his weaker foot.
But the Reds again lacked precision in the final third. Isak managed only one touch in the opening 23 minutes, underlining how disjointed their attacking play had become.
Forest punished the wastefulness. From a recycled corner, Murillo fired in the opener on 33 minutes. Alisson protested that his view had been blocked by an offside player, but the goal stood. Forest briefly thought they had a second when Igor Jesus finished past Ibrahima Konaté, but VAR penalised him for handball – a fortunate escape for Liverpool.
For the eighth time in 11 games, Liverpool went into the break behind.
Any hope of a response evaporated within 39 seconds of the second half. Former Liverpool full-back Neco Williams turned inside the box and squared for Nicolo Savona, who finished unmarked as the Reds’ defence again switched off.
Frustration spread around Anfield, while Forest supporters taunted Slot with chants of “sacked in the morning”.
After 55 minutes Slot reshuffled: Konaté was replaced by Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch dropped into centre-back, and Jones and Szoboszlai switched roles again. The match became increasingly chaotic, resembling basketball more than football.
Salah remained Liverpool’s only consistent threat. Isak, meanwhile, left the pitch after 68 minutes with only 15 touches and no duels won.
Forest wrapped up the result with 11 minutes remaining. Morgan Gibbs-White lashed in the third, sealing a comfortable and thoroughly deserved win for the visitors.
Liverpool once again had no answer after falling behind, continuing a pattern that has defined their season. The champions now sit 11th in the table, and serious questions are emerging over Slot’s inability to halt the team’s collapse.
