After suffering a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in this round of the Premier League, Liverpool has now lost two consecutive league games by the same scoreline.
When Liverpool was beaten at home by Nottingham Forest last season, the defeat became a joke among Reds fans as the team went on a winning streak afterward and easily claimed the Premier League title. However, after losing to Forest again now, it highlights numerous problems that Slot must resolve immediately—and fans at Anfield are no longer laughing.
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner witnessed everything from the directors' box, and this was undoubtedly one of Liverpool’s worst home performances in a very long time. Statistically, this painful 0-3 loss equaled Liverpool's heaviest home defeat in the Premier League era at Anfield, on par with the 1-4 loss to Chelsea in 2005 and the 1-4 defeat to Manchester City in 2021.
But those two opponents were freshly crowned Premier League champions. This time, with all due respect, Forest were deep in the relegation zone before the game, arriving with Sean Dyche’s textbook tactics—tactics that even someone with a superficial understanding of football could have anticipated.
The strategy was simple: deep-lying defense. Players compacted in their own half. Look to hit on the counterattack. Then make the most of every set-piece opportunity.
Yet, for Liverpool, dealing with this proved far from easy. Over the past two months, Liverpool has been in poor form—this is their sixth defeat in seven league games and their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions. This is not just bad form; it’s relegation-level performance. The Reds are now closer to the relegation zone than to league leaders Arsenal.
In the first 12 rounds of the Premier League, only three teams—West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Burnley—have conceded more goals than Liverpool’s 20. This is their worst record since 1992. It is also the first time since 1965 that Liverpool has lost two consecutive league games by three or more goals.
But what is truly worrying may not be the scoreline, despite how lopsided it looks. What troubles Slot most is the team’s complete lack of response after falling behind. In the 33rd minute, Murillo scored a controversial goal. Although Ndoye was in an offside position in front of Alisson, the goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR check. Liverpool was thus behind.
This evokes memories of two weeks ago, when Virgil van Dijk’s goal was disallowed during Liverpool’s away game against Manchester City—another controversial decision at a crucial moment. But if this opening goal once again highlights that luck has not been on Liverpool’s side since they won the Premier League title in May, that is by no means an excuse for the team’s subsequent poor performance.
Liverpool’s display was shocking; their tentative play in the final hour was one of the most inexcusable performances in recent memory. Admittedly, players generally suffer from fatigue after international breaks, which is a common occurrence. But after falling behind, Liverpool showed no convincing signs that they could mount a comeback, continuing their slump of failing to pick up a single point when trailing this season.
Aside from Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s attacking threat was minimal. Florian Wirtz, who joined Anfield this summer, has come under intense scrutiny and has been a disappointment due to his lack of creativity. Then there’s Alexander Isak, who started a Premier League game for the first time in over a month and touched the ball only once in the first quarter of the match. Just once.
By the time he was substituted midway through the second half, his touch count had increased to 15. Teenager Trey Nyoni had only one fewer touch, despite coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.
Every time Liverpool loses, opposing fans chant “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at the Dutchman. Thanks to the credibility gained from last season’s title, these chants were previously brushed off.
Slot currently faces no immediate risk of being sacked. But if another such comprehensive collapse occurs, Anfield’s hierarchy will have to deepen their doubts about whether he is the right person to continue in charge. This situation simply cannot go on.
