Steven Gerrard pulled no punches after Liverpool's 2-2 Premier League draw with Nottingham Forest, criticising three players for their roles in Dan Ndoye's opener as the Reds came from behind twice to salvage a point.
Cody Gakpo runs with the ball
Cody Gakpo was criticised by Steven Gerrard(Image: Getty)
Steven Gerrard criticised Jeremie Frimpong, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo as Liverpool went into the break behind during their Premier League encounter with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
The away side opened the scoring at Anfield, with Dan Ndoye slotting home neatly inside the box just 24 minutes into proceedings.
Florian Wirtz appeared to have drawn the Reds level fewer than 10 minutes afterwards, converting from a comparable position at the other end of the field. Nevertheless, the German attacking midfielder's strike was chalked off shortly thereafter due to Frimpong being caught in an offside position during the build-up.
As Liverpool made their way down the tunnel one goal down on their own turf, Gerrard couldn't contain his views regarding Forest's finish.
The goal came about following a long-ball from Matz Sels, with Igor Jesus breaking through the defensive line and controlling it brilliantly with his first touch. While Mac Allister made contact to rob Jesus of possession, Morgan Gibbs-White was superbly positioned to instantly switch the ball wide to Ndoye, who found himself in masses of space due to Gakpo and Frimpong being caught out and creating a gaping void on the right.
Dissecting the poor defensive display, Gerrard said: "There's the punt, you've got to win the first ball - this ball here, it's very important that Mac Allister wins it. If not, Cody Gakpo has got to be back in position.", reports the Express.
"They've switched positions on the right-hand side. So Frimpong's gone for the first press, Gakpo has to become the right-back, he has to recover quicker, get back into defence, get back into position and make sure Ndoye doesn't get that shot on goal. Unfortunately, he doesn't. He's ball-watching and they get punished for it."
Liverpool emerged for the second period with renewed vigour, with Alexander Isak restoring parity on the hour mark, converting Gakpo's delivery at the far post with a simple finish. Yet the Reds were silenced once more 10 minutes later when Gibbs-White struck from the penalty spot.
Alexander Isak celebrates
Liverpool were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest(Image: Getty)
Neco Williams was charging into Alisson's area when the goalkeeper was compelled to leave his line to protect his net. The Brazilian made contact with the Forest full-back's leg after the ball was played, with referee Sam Barrott instantly awarding the penalty.
While Virgil van Dijk attempted to unsettle James McAtee as he waited 12 yards out, the midfielder passed the ball across to Gibbs-White, who dispatched it straight down the centre to restore Forest's advantage at 2-1. Gakpo and Frimpong were also later withdrawn in favour of Ryan Gravenberch and Kostas Tsimikas following underwhelming individual displays.
In a match brimming with drama and unexpected twists, summer recruit Victor Munoz proved to be the equalizer with approximately 10 minutes remaining — firing a fierce effort past Sels, with the ball ricocheting off the crossbar and over the line.
The contest ultimately ended 2-2, with Liverpool and Forest each claiming a point from the hard-fought encounter in front of the Kop. Liverpool now turn their attention to a fixture against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Friday, 4th September, while Forest prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur at the City Ground the following day.