Liverpool’s season from hell sank even deeper into the mire as Nottingham Forest swaggered into Anfield and handed the champions a bruising they will not forget in a hurry. It was a wretched afternoon for Arne Slot and his expensively assembled side who were outworked outthought and outplayed by a Forest team reborn under the hard edged guidance of Sean Dyche.
Liverpool arrived hoping to shake off the wreckage of their thrashing at Manchester City. Instead they ran straight into a Forest outfit full of snap and belief. Slot pinned his hopes on Alexander Isak the one hundred and twenty five million pound record buy who was supposed to be the new star of Anfield. What the home crowd got was a ghost. Isak drifted around with all the impact of a light breeze and lasted sixty seven minutes before his manager finally accepted the inevitable and hooked him.
By then the damage had already started. Forest struck first on thirty three minutes as defender Murillo strode forward and smashed a fierce effort beyond the returning Liverpool keeper Alisson. Anfield fell silent and stayed that way for long spells as disbelief crept through the stands.
Forest thought they had a second through Igor Jesus only for a handball to spoil the party. No matter. Straight after the restart former Liverpool defender Neco Williams surged down the right and picked out Nicola Savona who swept a cool finish in front of the Kop. The celebrations in the away end told their own story. Forest sensed blood and Liverpool barely offered a murmur in return.
The champions looked drained of spark and confidence while Forest played with the swagger usually seen from the men in red. Twelve minutes from time the visitors landed the final punch. Alisson saved bravely from Omari Hutchinson but the rebound fell to Morgan Gibbs White who hammered in number three. A groan rolled around the famous old ground. This was not a one off. This was becoming a pattern.
Liverpool have now lost six of their last seven league matches. That staggering run places Slot’s four hundred and fifty million pound summer rebuild firmly under the microscope. The manager tried everything. He even threw on Hugo Ekitike for defender Ibrahima Konate in a move that looked like a roll of the dice rather than a plan.
Only Mohamed Salah offered a flicker of danger while the rest of the side drifted through the calamity. The drop from last season’s cruise to the title is staggering. Retaining the crown now feels like fantasy. The fans did not turn on the team but the mood was sombre. This was not just a defeat. It was a humiliation that leaves Slot scrambling for answers and time already feeling short.