**Liverpool’s dismal title defence continued with a defeat to Nottingham Forest.**
The visitors broke the deadlock late in the first half against the run of play as Murillo fired past a returning Alisson from the edge of the penalty area.
Things went from bad to worse after the interval when Nicola Savona was able to slot in a cutback by the champions’ former full-back Neco Williams.
Arne Slot’s side fell further behind in the closing stages through Morgan Gibbs-White rifling a rebound after Alisson denied Omari Hutchinson.
The Reds dropped to 11th in the Premier League table with an eight-point gulf to leaders Arsenal, who face Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby.
_Here were the key talking points from Anfield:_
Is Slot capable of fixing malaise?
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Storm Darragh denied Arne Slot the opportunity to pit his wits against Sean Dyche during a title-winning debut campaign in the Liverpool hot seat.
By the time the Dutchman finally faced off against Everton, the current Nottingham Forest manager was already a month into unemployment.
After his side were [frustrated in Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/everton-fc/56385-everton-2-2-liverpool-three-talking-points-goodison-park-james-tarkowski-michael-oliver/), the Dutchman probably wished his neighbours had held off on making a change.
What Slot would give for a return to that balmy night across Stanley Park now in the wake of a sixth defeat from his previous seven Premier League games.
The Reds’ heaviest domestic home loss since 2021, and a first without reply since 2015, has thrown their head coach firmly under the spotlight of scrutiny.
Deploying midfielders as defenders and going for broke with four attackers on the pitch are glaring failings which underpin his in-game management issues.
With the champions now languishing in the table’s bottom half, something has to give in order to arrest Anfield’s current malaise and salvage the season.
Introspection will go a long way in convincing Kopites that Slot remains the best man for the job in spite of all the disappointment of a failed title defence.
Isak just isn’t helping himself
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Alexander Isak’s British transfer record fee continues to weigh him down.
Liverpool’s latest No.9 is burdened by not only the hefty figure paid to Newcastle United on deadline day but also his continued shortcomings.
Slot handed Isak a first start in over five weeks, somewhat perplexingly against an opponent who would test his attacking abilities to their limits.
Wednesday’s Champions League visit of PSV Eindhoven may have offered a more gentle reintroduction but it actually proved to be a blessing in disguise.
In a crowded field of serial underperformers, the Swede stood out for his inability to even try and impose himself on the visitors’ robust backline.
When Slot’s side were in the ascendancy, he was often found on the periphery while Mohamed Salah routinely weaved into the penalty area.
A lack of pressing from the front that forced Curtis Jones to step up to the plate was as damning as his paltry 14 touches and losing all seven duels.
Patience is already wearing thin on Isak’s stagnant start to life in a red shirt without refusing to help himself when presented opportunities to shine.
Konate saga now a distraction
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History is repeating itself in more ways than one for Liverpool at present.
Beyond the array of statistical ignominies, Slot’s fallen champions are also contending with the sideshow of a defensive totem’s future playing out.
Ibrahima Konate has not shied away from the thorny issue of his expiring deal, even [discussing it openly while on international duty](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/61542-ibrahima-konate-hints-at-liverpool-contract-decision/) with France.
Yet the centre-back’s willingness to continually engage in the subject risks becoming an unhealthy distraction after his latest, error-strewn performance.
Konate rarely put a foot right when up against Igor Jesus and was fortunate that the Forest striker’s disallowed goal for handball offered him a reprieve.
Things did not improve after the interval, so much so that Slot hooked him in favour of Hugo Ekitike in a vain attempt to inject fresh attacking impetus.
This was not Konate’s first mishap display and they only become more pronounced with each passing reference to his contract situation.
It is fast approaching a stage where his potential departure in next summer would not be the great loss which it was originally anticipated to become.