23 minutes ago
30
"Sacked in the morning! You're getting sacked in the morning!" This is a chant that Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, has been hearing more frequently from rival fans in recent weeks.
However, hearing this chant just 48 minutes into the game at Anfield, after Nottingham Forest doubled their lead, would have been particularly painful. Forest remains one of only two Premier League teams that the Dutchman has not defeated since he took over at Liverpool last summer.
While their 1-0 victory over the Reds in September of last year was a rare home defeat in a Premier League-winning season, such losses are no longer unexpected in this already conceded title defense. Throughout the 90-minute match on their latest visit to Merseyside, Forest supporters repeatedly taunted Slot with chants of "We're in your head".
But when Morgan Gibbs-White sealed the 3-0 win towards the end, they further mocked the Liverpool boss with warnings about his job security. The situation worsened in the 86th minute when they really twisted the knife into Liverpool's wounds, chanting "We want four!"
This defeat equals Liverpool's worst at Anfield in the Premier League era, highlighting how far they've fallen during this dreadful run. They now sit 11th in the table and could see the gap between themselves and Arsenal widen to 11 points if the leaders win Sunday's North London derby. However, any hopes of catching up with the Gunners have long since faded.
Liverpool have now suffered six defeats in their last seven Premier League matches and eight losses in their last 11 games across all competitions. This latest defeat, the worst of them all, occurred on home turf. Chairman Tom Werner was present for the first time this season, seated in the directors' box. His previous visit to Anfield saw Liverpool hoisting the Premier League trophy back in May.
After witnessing Slot's revamped team, following a $600 million summer revamp, he might be left wondering where it all went wrong. Slot still has some goodwill left after guiding the club to the title, and there are extenuating circumstances for the current struggles.
Just this week, Andy Robertson's heartfelt interview post Scotland's qualification for their first World Cup since 1998 served as a reminder of the profound sorrow the entire squad continues to grapple with following the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in the summer. This is something that should not and cannot be ignored.
However, whether we like it or not, football remains a results-driven business, and the ongoing poor performances are slowly undermining Slot's position. This marked a new low for the head coach. The absence of Reds supporters chanting his name, unlike previous matches, was quite telling.
Liverpool's chaos
With 55 minutes into the game and trailing 2-0, the Liverpool players collectively turned to Slot on the sidelines for direction as he made his first substitution of the match. Nicola Savona's goal, doubling the visitors' lead just a minute into the second half, forced the home manager to rethink his strategy.
Hugo Ekitike's introduction was expected, but Ibrahima Konate's departure — despite another underwhelming performance — raised eyebrows. Liverpool already had Dominik Szoboszlai filling in at right-back due to Conor Bradley's recent injury.
However, Konate's substitution led to Ryan Gravenberch moving into defense, adding to the sense of desperation in Liverpool's set-up as they struggled to claw their way back into the match.
Despite a $600M summer spending spree, the reigning Premier League champions have frequently found themselves chasing games and ending matches with disjointed line-ups and players out of position. Such changes have seldom yielded results in the past two months.
This wasn't the plan following the most expensive transfer window in the club's history. Last season, Liverpool cruised to the title, with Slot regularly lauded for his clear instructions and game management.
But now, the same stars are left searching for solutions mid-game during yet another disappointing defeat, signalling a loss of control in what is turning out to be a chaotic season.
Alisson fails to turn fortunes around
The return of Alisson Becker from a hamstring injury was a welcome sight, but it did little to help Liverpool reverse their slump.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper had been absent for Liverpool's previous eight matches, during which they suffered five losses, conceded 14 goals, and managed only two clean sheets. However, their downward spiral had already begun when Alisson was still in goal against Crystal Palace back in September.
His absence was felt, but his comeback didn't provide the magic solution. The Brazilian could do nothing about either of Forest's first two goals, but he might be disappointed that he deflected Omari Hutchinson's shot straight back into danger, allowing Gibbs-White to score the third goal late on in front of the Kop.
An uncharacteristic moment from the Brazilian, perhaps not surprising after a two-month absence, but by then the damage had long been done. If the Reds hadn't suffered such a heavy defeat, they might have felt aggrieved at the manner of Forest's opening goal. Murillo finished well, but it didn't go unnoticed that Dan Ndoye was standing in front of Alisson when the shot was taken.
After being checked by VAR, the Premier League bizarrely ruled that he wasn't obstructing the goalkeeper's line of sight — seemingly suggesting he was indeed offside in the process.
The inconsistency of officials remains consistent, then, with Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal at Manchester City still fresh in mind. However, this marks the second consecutive match where Liverpool have endured a significant loss without managing to score themselves, leaving any remaining excuses sounding rather feeble.
In their most recent defeat, despite having Alisson back between the sticks, the Reds were given a harsh reminder that while some aspects may alter, many remain constant.
English (US) ·