Liverpool’s early season momentum stopped as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Arne Slot’s men, aiming to equal a club record of four consecutive clean sheets, were frustrated as they failed to break down a well-organized Forest defense.
Luis Diaz came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, hitting the inside of the post after 16 minutes. Despite dominating possession with 66%, Liverpool struggled to create clear-cut chances. Diogo Jota and Alexis Mac Allister had opportunities, but the Forest goalkeeper was rarely troubled, leaving the game goalless at halftime.
In the second half, Liverpool struggled in possession, and their frustration was evident as the Anfield crowd grew restless. Dominik Szoboszlai’s errant passing gave Forest opportunities to counter, and despite Slot making a triple substitution after 60 minutes bringing on Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo – Liverpool failed to find a breakthrough.
Nottingham Forest capitalized on Liverpool’s mistakes in the 72nd minute when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored from the edge of the box after a turnover from Nunez. Alisson had no chance as the ball sailed into the bottom corner.
Slot’s decision to leave Federico Chiesa out of the squad raised eyebrows, and the final substitutions of Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas did little to inspire a comeback. Liverpool lacked composure and cohesion, with the team falling short in both creativity and execution.
Liverpool must now dust themselves off and prepare for the upcoming fixtures, knowing that this early setback could serve as a valuable lesson in their pursuit of a successful season.
