The season has completely unraveled for Liverpool, with their defence of the Premier League title now beyond any but a most unrealistic hope. They were dealt another, extremely heavy blow, when Nottingham Forest came to Anfield to win for the second consecutive time at the historic venue.
Murillo opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, and the visitors’ advantage was doubled straight after the break by Nicolo Savona. The final score was set by Morgan Gibbs-White in the 78th.
Team News: Lineups and Absentees
Liverpool entered the match with a familiar 4-3-3 shape, but injuries forced Arne Slot into uncomfortable compromises. Alisson Becker returned between the posts, shielded by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté in central defence, while Milos Kerkez filled in on the left. The midfield trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch carried the creative burden, with Curtis Jones pushed into an advanced role alongside Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak.
Missing were key figures like Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, and Florian Wirtz, leaving Liverpool short of defensive width and attacking creativity.
Nottingham Forest, under Sean Dyche, lined up in a disciplined 4-2-3-1. Matz Sels anchored the defense behind a back four of Neco Williams, Murillo, Nikola Milenković, and Nicolò Savona. In midfield, Ibrahim Sangaré and Nicolás Domínguez provided steel, while Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Dan Ndoye supported lone striker Igor Jesus.
Despite injuries to Douglas Luiz and Ola Aina, Forest’s structure was compact and their intent clear: frustrate Liverpool and strike on the break.
Match Recap: Familiar Scenes for Liverpool Fans
Liverpool began the game with intent, dominating possession and pinning Forest deep inside their own half. The opening 20 minutes were a flurry of red shirts and half-chances: Mohamed Salah curled an effort just wide in the 12th minute, and Dominik Szoboszlai forced Matz Sels into a sharp save from distance. The home crowd sensed a breakthrough, but what followed was a collapse few could have predicted.
Against the run of play, Forest struck first in the 33rd minute. A well-delivered corner from Elliot Anderson caused chaos in the box, and Murillo rose above Virgil van Dijk to power a header past Alisson Becker. VAR checked for interference by Dan Ndoye, who was close to the keeper’s line of sight, but the goal stood. Anfield fell silent as Forest celebrated a lead that felt improbable given Liverpool’s dominance.
The second half began disastrously for the hosts. Within 39 seconds of the restart, Forest doubled their advantage. Neco Williams surged down the right, skipped past two weak challenges, and squared for Nicolò Savona, who rifled a first-time shot into the top corner. It was a finish of stunning quality and a hammer blow to Liverpool’s fragile confidence.
Arne Slot reacted by throwing on Andrew Robertson, Federico Chiesa, and Hugo Ekitike, but Forest’s defensive structure held firm. Liverpool’s best chance came in the 68th minute, when Salah curled a shot toward the far post, only for Sels to tip it wide at full stretch. Moments later, Forest delivered the knockout punch. In the 78th minute, substitute Omari Hutchinson unleashed a strike that Alisson parried, but Morgan Gibbs-White was quickest to react, stabbing home from close range to make it 3–0.
The final minutes were a procession of frustration for Liverpool—crosses cleared, shots blocked, and boos echoing around Anfield. Forest, meanwhile, managed the game with composure, sealing their first win at this ground in 55 years and equalling Liverpool’s heaviest home defeat in Premier League history. For the Reds, it was a performance that combined sterile dominance with defensive fragility—a toxic mix that leaves their season hanging by a thread.
Liverpool’s Crisis Deepens – Is It Time for Slot to leave?
This was Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, leaving them 11th with 18 points—eight behind leaders Arsenal. Their title defence is in tatters, and Slot’s tactical tweaks have failed to stem the slide. The Reds have now conceded 20 goals in 12 matches, a stark contrast to last season’s defensive solidity.
But the biggest worry at this point is the way the Merseysiders play. There doesn’t seem to be a defined plan of attack, or ideas on how to trouble the opponent. Nothing that could resemble a result of training-ground drills. It’s like Slot merely names 11 players and throws them into the pot, hoping for the best.
The changes the Dutch coach makes also don’t produce results – the team looks as clueless as before they’re made. When they attack in greater numbers, which isn’t nearly often enough, the players somehow end up in each other’s way, spoiling chances for one another instead of creating them.
It’s no better at the back, where someone appears to have left all the doors and windows open for opponents to take advantage of. Defenders lose duels easily and take themselves out of the game, and every loose ball inside their box seems to find an opposition attacker to fire goalwards.
And to complete the picture, the midfielders are always second to every second ball, their passes are inaccurate, they do not cover space nearly as effectively as they should.
At this point, Slot doesn’t seem to have an answer to the crisis. He did lead Liverpool to a Premier League title in his first season at the club and has thus built up a large credit, but by now he has wasted it away, and it remains to be seen how long he’ll be given to turn things around.
Another thing is painfully obvious when it comes to Liverpool’s current predicament: two weeks ago, they were beaten by Manchester City at the Etihad by 3-0 in a game where the opponent saw more of the ball, playing Pep Guardiola’s trademark attacking-style football. And now they lost at home against Nottingham Forest, despite dominating possession notably, by the same scoreline. Therefore, no kind of game or opponent appears to suit them at the moment, and that is an extremely worrying aspect of the crisis.
Forest’s Tactical Bravery
Dyche’s blueprint—aggressive pressing, disciplined blocks, and lethal counters—worked to perfection. Murillo and Savona exploited Liverpool’s vulnerability at set-pieces and transitions, while Gibbs-White orchestrated attacks with intelligence. Forest climb to 16th, out of the relegation zone, and their resurgence under Dyche feels real.
VAR Controversy
Murillo’s opener sparked debate. Ndoye stood in front of Alisson, but officials ruled he wasn’t obstructing the keeper’s view. Minutes later, Forest had a second goal disallowed for a marginal handball by Igor Jesus—a decision Dyche called “astonishing.” These flashpoints will dominate post-match discourse.
Controversy is certainly nothing new when it comes to officiating in the Premier League. Liverpool probably wouldn’t have to say much about Murillo’s goal had it not been to the fact that they themselves had a very similar goal disallowed before the international break against Manchester City, when it was deemed that Robertson had interfered with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ability to stop Van Dijk’s header from an offside position.
But even so, no Liverpool fan will want to talk about the referees at this point – the continued bleak performances of their team are surely the first thing that needs to be addressed, from their point of view.
Salah and Isak: Silent Frontline
Mohamed Salah, making his 300th Premier League appearance, was subdued. His two shots on target lacked venom, while Alexander Isak extended his unwanted record—four starts, four defeats. Liverpool’s £446m summer rebuild looks increasingly disjointed.
Dyche’s Redemption Arc
Written off after Everton, Dyche has transformed Forest’s mentality. Two wins and a draw in his last three league games, plus a disciplined European campaign, underline his impact. His side’s physicality and clarity exposed Liverpool’s fragility in a way maybe few imagined, though it has been seen before.
The Road Ahead
Liverpool now face a reasonably favourable run, at least on paper:
- West Ham (Nov 30), Sunderland (Dec 3), Leeds (Dec 6), and Brighton (Dec 13)—fixtures that could define Slot’s future, but before all that, they’ll face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in a few days.
- Forest, buoyed by this triumph, host Brighton (Nov 30) before trips to Wolves (Dec 3) and Everton (Dec 6).
Bottom Line
This wasn’t just a defeat for Liverpool—it was a reckoning. They dominated the ball but lacked bite, while Forest combined courage with clinical execution.
For Slot, the clock is ticking; for Dyche, the revival is gathering pace. Anfield has seen many shocks, but few as seismic as this.