Liverpool, on Saturday, dropped points for the first time in the Premier League this season after a second-half stunner from Callum Hudson-Odoi earned Nottingham Forest their first victory at Anfield in 55 years.
Liverpool were yet to concede a league goal this term, before the introduction of Hudson-Odoi from the Forest bench, with Nuno Espirito Santo masterminding the unlikeliest of 1-0 wins.
The substitute scored the winner in the 72nd minute after Liverpool’s retreating backline offered him the time and space to measure a shot from 20 yards, beckoned to try his luck by the travelling support behind the goal. He obliged, bending a perfectly precise strike beyond Alisson at full stretch.
Liverpool had won all three of their opening games under Slot without conceding, including a 3-0 win away at Manchester United two weeks ago.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: “We lost the ball so many times in simple positions.
“It wasn’t good enough, too many individual performances were not of the standard I’m used to. It’s a big setback.”
Premier League: Liverpool thrash Man United at Old Trafford
Liverpool, with lofty ambitions in Slot’s first season in charge, created plenty but lacked any cutting edge as every final pass or attempted finish failed to hit the correct mark.
Their 14 shots at goal – five on target – were a sign of the home side’s obvious dominance, but unlike the opening three weeks of the campaign where they scored seven times, were unable to convert such superiority into anything tangible.
Meanwhile, everything Forest did paid off.
Both team selections – Ryan Yates and James Ward-Prowse were among four changes, selected to pack the middle of the park – and formation worked to stifle and frustrate Liverpool.
Substitutions worked perfectly with Anthony Elanga and Hudson-Odoi combining for the winner.
The defeat leaves the Reds three points behind champions Manchester City, who stretched their perfect start to the season with a 2-1 win over Brentford.
Slot also has little time to come up with a solution as Liverpool travel to AC Milan to begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday.
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