Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season on Saturday as they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest at Anfield for the first time in 65 years.
The first half saw a mixed performance from the Reds, with Nottingham Forest failing to find the winner, with Luis Diaz coming closest to opening the scoring with a shot that hit the post. Alexis Mac Allister was another standout player for Arn Slot’s side in the opening 45 minutes, with the Argentina international trying to spark Liverpool’s attack.
The home side’s frustrations continued into the second half with a clear lack of cutting edge, prompting three changes on the hour mark as Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Conor Bradley came on. However, it was the substitute who broke the deadlock for the visitors when Callum Hudson-Odoi put the visitors ahead on 72 minutes.
Liverpool could do little to change the outcome of the game as Forest’s defence absorbed the pressure, in what was their most inconsistent attacking display of the season so far.
Positives
It’s hard to find positives after such a poor display, but there are no new injury problems for Arn Slot to deal with ahead of next week’s Champions League opener against Milan.
Negatives
Liverpool did not look capable of scoring even after going 1-0 down in a disorganised attacking display that will need to be resolved if they are to be in the Premier League title race.
Manager Rating (1-10)
Arn Slot, 5 — He couldn’t provide the solution on Saturday afternoon, creating no real chances throughout the game. He tried to do something with the substitutes, but there was no solution that could unlock Nottingham Forest’s impressive defence.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)
Goalkeeper Alisson, 6 — The Brazilian international could do nothing about Callum Hudson-Odoi’s effort, which he perfectly struck off the post before it went in. Liverpool kept their chances alive by saving Anthony Elanga’s effort to prevent his team going 2-0 up.
Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, 4 — Alexander-Arnold did not make as much of an impact as he had at right-back and was unable to produce when moved into midfield, losing possession for Forest’s winning goal.
DF Ibrahima Konate, 6 — The France international was strong in challenging for headers and used a determined approach to dealing with Nottingham Forest’s set-piece threat.
DF Virgil van Dijk, 7- He positioned himself well on set pieces against Nottingham Forest to clear danger, and also intercepted a low pass that was sent into the box.
Defender Andy Robertson, 5 — The Scotland international worked hard on the left but did not create many chances. He was replaced by Kostas Tsimikas in the 75th minute.
MF Ryan Gravenberch, 4 — There wasn’t much defensive work for Ryan Gravenberch to do as the majority of Forest’s attacks came down the wings, and he was quiet in the second half.
MF Alexis Mac Allister, 6 — He was one of Liverpool’s most prominent players, always looking to move the ball quickly and make an impact in the final third. He created a near-certain chance with a neat pass to Diogo Jota, before forcing Mats Sels to save with a header.
MF Dominik Szoboszlai, 4 — He was active at times in the first half, running through the middle of the pitch, and combined well with Mohamed Salah when he tried to turn the ball out, but he was left out of the game in the second half due to his blocked shot.
Striker Mohamed Salah 4 — The Liverpool striker improved after a quiet first half, controlling the ball more, but his usual pace in tackling the ball was not enough. He wasted a number of chances throughout the match, and was not in harmony with his team-mates.
Forward Diogo Jota, 5 — There was not enough space for Diogo Jota to exploit with three defenders around him, and in the one chance he did get, he could not get the strength to deal with a pass from Mac Allister. He was replaced by Darwin Nunez on 60 minutes.
Striker Luis Diaz, 6 — The Colombia international created Liverpool’s best chance of the first half with his hard work, winning the ball back almost before the goalkeeper could get away, but his effort hit the post.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)
Striker Darwin Nunez, 4 (replaces Jota, 60″) — The Uruguayan international made little impact during his 30 minutes and did not threaten the opposition defence once.
Defender Connor Bradley, 5 (replaces Mac Allister, 61 in) — He struggled at times against Callum Hudson-Odoi, but did his best to get forward and support attacks.
Forward Cody Gakpo, 4 (on Diaz, 61″) — He was slow to get into the game, got rid of the ball easily early on thanks to Ola Aina. He couldn’t get on the ball in any dangerous situations. He was ineffective.
Defender Kostas Tsimikas, non-defender (replaces Robertson, 75′) — Came on for Andy Robertson in the 75th minute. Put Anthony Elanga under pressure to prevent a big chance.
MF Curtis Jones, N/R (replaced Konate, 75″) — With 15 minutes to go, he had little time to make an impact.
