Liverpool suffer their first loss to Nottingham Forest
Alan Shearer claimed Liverpool’s defeat to Nottingham Forest was “no fluke” as Arne Slot ’s perfect start came to a grinding halt.
The Reds slumped to their first loss of the season against the East-Midlands side. Ex-Chelsea wideman Callum Hudson-Odoi proved to be the matchwinner with his second-half strike.
The defeat leaves Liverpool three points behind Manchester City at the early stage of the season. But more worryingly, it was a reverse that was deserved, according to Shearer.
The former Newcastle star said: “Nottingham Forest were outstanding. The way they defended as a team was magnificent and this was no fluke.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: “They stopped Liverpool every time they got into the box. Then they went and hit them on the break, what a finish from Callum Hudson-Odoi. What a start to the season they’ve had.”
Slot, who has suffered his first defeat since arriving at Anfield, had a similar assessment to the game. He slammed his side for not being up to the standard he and the team expect. Speaking after the full-time whistle, the Dutchman said: “The result frustrates the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances.
“We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.
“Our decisions and execution wasn’t good enough. In general we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult. We took a lot of risk and in the end it was a very good goal.”
In the opposite dugout, Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was understandably delighted and was full of praise for his players for their performance. The Portuguese coach said: “The players did it so well, we were against the ropes but we stayed in the game and found our moment. I am really happy for the boys.
“Liverpool are so good, you cannot play them and ignore the quality they have. Defensively we were really good. It was impossible for our wingers to last 90 minutes, they had to track the runners so we needed fresh legs in the second half.
“We played well, we controlled the game in the right moments and harmed them. This is a moment to enjoy for our fans. It doesn’t last long but our fans are amazing and this is a big help for the players.”
Slot will be aiming to get his Liverpool side back on track in midweek as they kick off their Champions League campaign against AC Milan. Meanwhile, Forest take on Brighton at the City Ground next weekend.
Source: mirror (UK)