Liverpool’s season goes from bad to worse.
A wretched 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, who were entrenched in the relegation zone ahead of kick-off, dealt a further blow to Arne Slot’s hopes of salvaging his Premier League title defence and left him facing yet more awkward questions about how to arrest the club’s slide.
We dissect the major talking points.
Why were Liverpool so bad?
A season increasingly packed with chastening setbacks for Liverpool just lurched to an embarrassing new low.
This was the bleakest day of the Arne Slot era as his side were routed on home turf. The sight of Morgan Gibbs-White hammering home Forest’s third goal with 12 minutes remaining resulted in hundreds of home supporters giving up and heading to the exits. You could hardly blame them.
Getting soundly beaten by Manchester City is one thing; getting humiliated in your own backyard by Nottingham Forest, who started the day just one place off the bottom of the Premier League table, is another.
The problems just keep stacking up for Slot, with Liverpool currently resembling a rudderless mess. So vulnerable at the back, so lacking in midfield, and so toothless up front.
It’s now six defeats in their past seven league matches, with their title defence in tatters. Injuries haven’t helped, with Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley the latest to pull up lame this week. But the bigger issue for Slot is the lack of cohesion, belief and fight in those left still standing. Established stars have lost their way and the summer signings haven’t been able to make their mark.
This was Liverpool’s worst Premier League home defeat since Manchester City won 4-1 at Anfield in February 2021.
“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” crowed the Forest fans during the closing stages. That won’t be happening, but Slot needs to find answers and fast.
James Pearce
What is wrong with Konate?
Liverpool’s defensive issues this season run a lot deeper than simply one key player underperforming. The back line has been exposed more often by the lack of protection provided by those in front of them, with Slot’s side far too easy to play through.
However, there is no escaping the fact that Ibrahima Konate’s performance levels have plummeted.
Maybe the ongoing uncertainty over his future has played a part, with Konate’s contract due to expire at the end of the season. But rather than make a compelling case for Liverpool to pay him what he believes he’s worth, in recent months, he’s only succeeded in ensuring that if he does decide to move on, the reaction from many fans will be one of apathy rather than anger.
Ibrahima Konate’s form has slumped (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Konate has served up one erratic display after another, and after struggling against Manchester City before the international break, he was a glaring weak link again against Forest. He needlessly gave away the corner that led to the opening goal and was later relieved to see Igor Jesus’ effort disallowed for handball after being embarrassed again.
The number of sloppy errors just kept coming as the Anfield crowd vented their frustration at his shortcomings. Joe Gomez, whose only starts this season have come in the Carabao Cup, must have been sat on the bench wondering what on earth has to happen for him to be given the chance to shine.
After a disastrous start to the second half for Liverpool saw Nicolo Savona double Forest’s lead, Slot took swift action as he brought on Hugo Ekitike and took Konate off, with Ryan Gravenberch used as a makeshift centre-back. Given the paucity of what he had served up, Konate could have no complaints.
James Pearce
When will Isak get going?
Alexander Isak endured another miserable afternoon, registering just 15 touches, the fewest of any starting player, in another goalless display for Liverpool.
The most expensive player in Premier League history was anonymous for most of the game, with just one driving run in the first half standing out as his only moment of any significance.
In the build-up, Slot admitted that he would have to sacrifice the claims of other forwards at the club to get the £125million man up to speed. It’s why Isak started over Hugo Ekitike, but yet again, there was nothing to show for it as he barely featured in the embarrassing defeat. He failed to offer any spark and is struggling to build on-field chemistry with those around him.
Isak is yet to complete 90 minutes for Liverpool, and his only goal so far was against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
With six games in the next 21 days, it’s likely Slot will persist with the Sweden international as he continues to find his feet, but it’s taking the striker much longer than expected to settle in.
Gregg Evans
Should Forest’s first goal have stood?
Liverpool initially felt hard done by when they fell behind to Murillo’s opening strike after 33 minutes.
Like so often this season, the champions looked vulnerable when defending set pieces, and it was a corner that caused problems midway through the first half.
Not only could it have been easily avoided in the first place, courtesy of Ibrahima Konate’s poor defending, Liverpool should also have done better in their attempts to clear Elliot Anderson’s inswinging delivery.
Instead, Murillo pounced and fired past the returning Alisson to open the scoring. That was only half of the story, though, as the goalkeeper’s view looked to have been blocked by Dan Ndoye, who appeared to be standing in an offside position.
Arne Slot voiced his concerns to the fourth official on the sidelines, but the officials allowed the goal to stand. The Premier League Match Centre cleared up the controversy on X, stating: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR — with it deemed that Ndoye was not in the line of vision of Alisson and did not make an action that impacted an opponent.”
What made the decision even more frustrating for Liverpool was that they were on the wrong end of a similar scenario a fortnight ago when Virgil van Dijk’s header away at Manchester City was ruled out because his team-mate Andy Robertson was blocking Gianluigi Donnarumma’s view from a similar position.
Liverpool’s disallowed goal at Manchester City (Sky Sports)
Gregg Evans
… but should they have had a second in the first half?
If the opening strike was unfortunate for Liverpool, the fact that Forest had a second goal harshly ruled out in the first half probably levelled things out.
Again, Konate was at fault as he failed to deal with a ball into the box, which allowed striker Igor Jesus to get the better of him and shoot into the bottom corner from 12 yards out.
Yet they were spared when referee Andy Madley, after a few seconds delay, ruled out the goal after deciding Jesus had handled the ball in the build-up.
It seemed a harsh decision, with replays failing to be conclusive as to whether the ball had struck Jesus on the chest, rather than his arm.
The Premier League Match Centre posted on X: “The referee’s call of no goal was checked and confirmed by VAR — with it deemed that Jesus accidentally handled the ball before scoring.”
In the end, it didn’t matter, but Liverpool can feel fortunate not to have sustained further damage.
Gregg Evans
What next for Liverpool?
Wednesday, November 26: PSV (Home), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
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