Theo Squires with the big Liverpool talking points from the 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds the fans following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield on November 22, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Arne Slot applauds the Liverpool fans following the dreadful defeat to Nottingham Forest
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“Sacked in the morning! You’re getting sacked in the morning!” Arne Slot has heard such taunts from opposing supporters at an alarmingly increased rate in recent weeks.
But the sound of such a chant, coming after just 48 minutes at Anfield after seeing Nottingham Forest double their lead, would have stung far more.
The East Midlands outfit remain one of only two Premier League sides the Dutchman has failed to beat since taking over at Liverpool last summer. But while their 1-0 victory over the Reds in September of last year was a lone blip at home in a Premier League-winning campaign, such defeats are no longer a surprise during this now already surrendered title defence.
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Forest supporters had regularly told Slot “We’re in your head” throughout the 90 minutes during their latest trip to Merseyside. But when Morgan Gibbs-White wrapped up the 3-0 win late on, they taunted the Liverpool boss with further warnings over his job security.
Yet worse was to follow in the 86th minute as they really rubbed salt into the Reds' wounds, singing “We want four!”
This loss was already Liverpool's joint-heaviest at Anfield in the Premier League era, signalling how far they have sunk during this dismal run.
They now sit 11th in the table and could see the deficit between themselves and Arsenal extend to 11 points should the leaders win Sunday’s North London derby. But any hopes of catching the Gunners have long since been extinguished.
The Reds have now lost six of their last seven Premier League matches and eight of their last 11 games in all competitions. While the majority have come away from home, this was the worst of the lot.
And it came in front of chairman Tom Werner, who was seated in the directors' box for the first time this season.
His last visit to Anfield saw Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy back in May. After his first-hand look at Slot’s ‘new-look’ side, following a £450m summer overhaul, he would be forgiven for wondering what on earth has gone wrong.
Slot still has credit in the bank after leading the club to the title, and there are mitigating circumstances for the current struggles.
Only this week, Andy Robertson’s emotional interview after helping Scotland qualify for a first World Cup since 1998 offered a reminder of the unprecedented grief the entire squad continues to contend with following the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in the summer. That should not and cannot be overlooked.
But like it or not, football remains a results business and performances slowly continue to compromise Slot's position.
This was a new low for the head coach. And the lack of Reds supporters chanting his name, in contrast to previous outings, was telling.
Liverpool have lost control
With 55 minutes on the clock and finding themselves 2-0 down, the Liverpool players collectively looked to Slot for guidance on the sidelines as he introduced his first substitution of the match.
Any half-time instructions had been thrown out of the window by Nicola Savona doubling the visitors’ lead within a minute of the restart, prompting an attacking change from the home manager.
While it was no surprise to see Hugo Ekitike as the man introduced, the sight of Ibrahima Konate jogging off - even after another questionable display - was enough to prompt confused looks.
Liverpool already had Dominik Szoboszlai playing out of position at right-back, with such a choice enforced by Conor Bradley’s latest injury.
But with the withdrawal of Konate resulting in Ryan Gravenberch dropping into the defence, there was once again a desperate feel about the Reds’ set-up as they tried in vain to fight their way back into the contest.
The reigning Premier League champions may have embarked on a £450m spending spree in the summer, but too often have they been left chasing games and finishing matches with disjointed line-ups and players out of position. Rarely in the past two months have such changes delivered results.
This was not how it was meant to be after the costliest transfer window in the club’s history.
Liverpool were in cruise control when strolling to the title last season, with Slot regularly praised for his clear instructions to his players and management of matches.
But with the same stars now left looking for answers in-game during another dismal defeat, that control is seemingly gone as a chaotic campaign continues.
Alisson unable to answer prayers
Alisson Becker’s return from a hamstring injury was a welcome sight but he could do little to help the Reds reverse their rut.
The 33-year-old had missed Liverpool’s last eight matches, during which time they lost five, conceding 14 goals and keeping just two clean sheets. But their decline had already started when Alisson was still between the posts against Crystal Palace back in September.
He has been missed, but his return did not act as a magic wand.
The shot-stopper could do nothing about either of Forest’s first two goals, but he will perhaps be disappointed that he parried Omari Hutchinson’s strike straight back into danger for Gibbs-White to make it 3-0 late on in front of the Kop.
An uncharacteristic moment from the Brazilian, perhaps not surprising coming after a two-month absence, but by then the damage had long been done.
Had the Reds not fallen to such a heavy loss, they could have at least felt aggrieved at the manner of the Forest opener. Murillo finished well, but it did not go unnoticed that Dan Ndoye was standing stand in front of Alisson when the strike came in.
Checked by VAR, the Premier League confirmed that they had bizarrely ruled that he was not in the goalkeeper's line of vision - seemingly suggesting he was indeed offside in the process.
The inconsistency of officials remains consistent then, with Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed strike at Manchester City still fresh in mind.
But that is two games in a row now where Liverpool have suffered a heavy and deserved defeat without getting on the scoresheet themselves, with any excuses left no more than half-hearted.
In this latest loss, with Alisson back in goal, the Reds found out the hard way that while some things may change, many still say the same.