Liverpool’s crisis deepens after 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest

Liverpool's crisis deepens after 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest

Liverpool's alarming slump continued on Saturday as Nottingham Forest dismantled the reigning Premier League champions with a commanding 3-0 victory at Anfield, exposing glaring weaknesses in Arne Slot's side. The defeat-Liverpool's sixth in seven league matches-marks a stunning collapse for a team that dominated English football just months ago.

A season unraveling

Slot, who guided Liverpool to the title last season, now faces mounting scrutiny after a run of form that has seen the Reds lose six of their last seven Premier League games-a record as poor as their previous 58 combined. The Dutch manager acknowledged the severity of the situation, telling reporters, "How bad that is difficult to measure, but it was very bad. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result."

Liverpool's struggles at Anfield, once a fortress under Jürgen Klopp, have become a recurring nightmare. They have lost two of their last three home league games-matching their total from the previous 53. The team's defensive frailties were laid bare again, with Forest capitalizing on set-piece vulnerabilities to score twice, including Murillo's opener from a corner. Liverpool have now conceded nine league goals from dead-ball situations this season-equal to their total from the entire 2023-24 campaign.

£450m spent, little return

The club's aggressive summer spending-nearly half a billion pounds on reinforcements-has yet to yield results. High-profile signings like Alexander Isak, a British-record £125m arrival from Newcastle, and Florian Wirtz (£116m) have failed to deliver. Isak, making his first start since recovering from injury, was largely invisible before being substituted after 68 minutes. Wirtz, sidelined here, has yet to register a goal or assist in the league.

"Whether it's a crisis, I don't know. It's certainly a major problem for the manager to go six defeats from seven. Unthinkable."

Martin Keown, former Arsenal and England defender

Slot's tactical adjustments, including the baffling decision to replace defender Ibrahima Konate with striker Hugo Ekitike midway through the second half, reeked of desperation. The move did little to stem Forest's momentum, with Morgan Gibbs-White sealing the win late to leave Anfield in stunned silence.

From champions to mid-table mediocrity

Liverpool now sit 11th in the table, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, who also hold a game in hand. No defending Premier League champion has retained the title with 18 points or fewer at this stage. The Reds' hopes of a repeat have evaporated; survival in the top four now appears the only realistic target.

The contrast with last season's dominance is stark. Under Klopp and in Slot's debut campaign, Liverpool were defined by relentless intensity and resilience. This season, those qualities have vanished. "Heart and intensity," noted one observer-"these were a given under Klopp. They've barely been seen this season."

What next for Slot?

While Slot's job is not yet under immediate threat, the pressure is intensifying. The team's next fixtures-a Champions League clash and a league trip to Brighton-offer little respite. Without a dramatic turnaround, Liverpool risk not only surrendering their title but missing out on Europe entirely.

For a club accustomed to competing at the summit, the current reality is unthinkable. As one pundit put it: "The wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot."