Callum Hudson-Odoi became the first player to score against Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the Premier League – and it was a real blow.
Nottingham Forest celebrated their first win at Anfield since February 1969, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side pulling off a highly unexpected victory.
Only Manchester City can currently boast a 100 percent winning streak in the English top flight, and Liverpool have to start from scratch after Slot’s good start at Anfield ended abruptly.
Gregg Evans and James Pearce analyze the key talking points….
Slot’s first setback – how will his team react?
Slot left the pitch with a look of thunder on his face as Liverpool’s perfect start to the season at Anfield came to an end.
For the head coach, the setback is the first serious blow since his move from Feyenoord this summer.
Liverpool’s performance left a lot to be desired and despite numerous tactical changes during the game, it was the man on the away bench who came up with the brilliant plan.
Hudson-Odoi celebrates putting Forest ahead (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest did not let Liverpool rest in the first half, but then held their nerve after taking the lead and secured their first win at Anfield in 55 years.
Slot, who had managed everything so well in those first weeks of the season, had no answer and could not turn things around. His team pushed and tried, but there was no end product and eventually they ran out of steam.
After a run of games, it is now up to the Dutchman to rebuild the players after a surprise defeat ahead of this week’s return to Champions League action, his first major challenge in the Liverpool hot seat.
Greg Evans
Was the triple substitution worth it?
Slot was on the sidelines engaged in an intense discussion with his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.
The groans in the stands grew louder as attack after attack failed and Liverpool repeatedly failed to score at the last ball. A feeling of frustration spread as a combative game remained goalless.
Shortly before the hour mark, the Dutch head coach intervened and made a brave triple substitution.
Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz, who were expected to decline after their international appearances in South America, were replaced along with Diogo Jota.
Trent Alexander-Arnold must have feared the worst when he saw Conor Bradley coming, but the vice-captain was moved to midfield to make way for the Northern Irishman, with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo also coming on.
But instead of improving Liverpool, the changes made the team even more uncoordinated. The lack of fluidity was alarming, as promising moves repeatedly failed to materialise.
Nunez was unable to provide the necessary attacking focus as he lost control and it became far too easy for Forest to overcome the hosts on the counterattack.
Liverpool paid the price when Anthony Elanga passed to Hudson-Odoi, who cut inside and played past Bradley and fired a low shot into the far corner.
Liverpool reacts to the deficit (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Slot reacted with another tactical change and switched to a three-man defense – he brought in Curtis Jones for Ibrahima Konaté, while Kostas Tsimikas replaced Andy Robertson – but to no avail.
James Pearce
Why did Liverpool offer so little up front?
On a day when a clear goal from Nottingham Forest made the difference, it was Liverpool who clearly ran out of steam in attack.
Slot deployed the same attacking line that had started the season so well, but there were no moments of magic. Liverpool had 70 percent possession and 34 touches in Forest’s penalty area, but produced an xG of just 0.87.
Mo Salah in particular was below par, being stopped by Alex Moreno in the early stages and wasting possession after the break. Jota had three shots on goal but only one hit the target and was out of action for a long time before being substituted after an hour.
Darwin Nunez may have been unlucky not to start after spending extra time training over the past two weeks due to his international suspension in Uruguay, but when he came on he was quiet and unable to get going.
Diaz had a good chance for Liverpool in the first half but his shot hit the post, while his replacement Cody Gakpo was unable to make much of an impact and the hosts trailed in the closing stages.
Federico Chiesa did not make the squad but could be needed in the coming games as Liverpool will be hoping for a return for their Champions League match against AC Milan next week.
Greg Evans
What did Arne Slot say?
Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Slot said: “(It was) disappointing. Without the ball, I think we did what we needed to do – we hardly conceded any goals apart from the one that led to the goal. But you have to do much, much better when you have 70 per cent possession; you have to create many more chances than the two, three or four we had. It would have helped if some of the individual performances had been a bit better today.”
What’s next for Liverpool?
Tuesday, September 17: AC Milan (A), Champions League, 8pm BST, 3pm ET
Saturday, September 21st: Bournemouth (H), Premier League, 3pm BST, 10am ET
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(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images))
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