Arne Slot was asked about his substitutions and tactical changes in Liverpool's 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, gives instructions to Milos Kerkez of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield on November 22, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arne Slot gives instructions to Milos Kerkez during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield
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Arne Slot has admitted a number of his decisions did not pay off as Liverpool fell to a hefty 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest. Goals from Murillo, Nicola Savona and Morgan Gibbs-Whites saw the Reds suffer their joint-worst defeat in Premier League history.
The reigning Premier League champions have now lost six of their last seven matches in the English top-flight, and eight from their last 11 in all competitions, with their wretched run of form seeing them drop to 11th in the table.
Their hand has not been helped by injuries, with Slot required to select Dominik Szoboszlai out of position at right-back for the loss to Forest after being left without both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.
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With Savona doubling Forest’s lead shortly after the restart, Slot sent on Hugo Ekitike in place of IIbrahima Konate as Ryan Gravenberch dropped into defence, while the Liverpool head coach switched to a 3-3-4 formation late on only to see Gibbs-White wrap up the victory seconds later.
Speaking after the game, Slot admitted such decisions were risky and had ultimately not paid off as the Reds tried and failed to find a way back into the game.
“We had to start the game with a midfielder at right full-back because both of our right full-backs are injured,” he explained.
“Joe Gomez is a player who can also play there but trained the whole week, but I don’t think he was fully ready to start the game.
“And when you’re 2-0 down, in my opinion it is not really necessary to bring on a defender. Normally you prefer to bring on players who can score a goal.
“After I took Ibou off, indeed we played with two midfielders in our last line. That’s true, but we also needed goals.
“That’s why I brought in Hugo Ekitike for Ibou, to bring a player in who can score a goal. Just before we conceded 3-0, I went to a 3-3-4 because I didn’t feel we were able to create a lot after my first substitution.
“If you score a goal in this stadium, something can happen. So you need something, you need a goal, you need something to happen.
“But after my first substitution with Hugo, I don’t think we created a lot. I thought, with 2-0 down, let’s take an extra risk.
“But that didn’t work out really well because two seconds later we were 3-0 down.”
He continued: “I think we ended up a lot of times on our sides with Cody (Gakpo) and with Mo (Mohamed Salah). But we struggled to create a chance off that because they were defending with so many players in and around their box.
“So if you’ve tried for 75 minutes with four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers, although the defenders were midfielders but that comes from injuries, but the idea was to make an offensive substitution.
“Which I did last season as well, took Ibou off, brought Diogo Jota in and one minute later, away at Forest, we scored for 1-1. Then it was brave, now it was probably stupid.”