Nottingham Forest had an Outstanding victory over Liverpool

Shilpa Rajan September 16, 2024

Nottingham Forest handed Liverpool their first season defeat with a 1-0 victory. The home team was unable to break Forest’s defense. Nottingham Forest registered their first win at Anfield since 1969. Arne Slot also lost his first match as Liverpool’s boss.

Liverpool eyeing fourth win

Liverpool and Manchester City were the only teams with a 100% record in the fourth game week. Arne Slot’s era at Merseyside began with three wins in the opening three fixtures. His team earned a 3-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford just before the international break. This was a chance to add pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Dutch manager named an unchanged squad from the previous match. Alisson started in goal and was protected by Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alexis McAllister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai were a part of the midfield three. Diogo Jota led the attack along with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.

Nottingham Forest, the unbeaten, visits Anfield

Nottingham Forest started the season like no one expected. They earned five points in the first three games. This was a chance to extend their unbeaten run to four matches.

Nuno Espirito Santo announced a strong starting 11. James Ward-Prowse started in the midfield. Chris Wood led the attack for the away side. They were looking for a point against one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Frustrating first half

Nottingham Forest struggled to keep the ball and Liverpool failed to get past Forest’s defence. The Reds tried to take an early lead. They attempted six shots and two were on target. Forest, on the other hand, didn’t attempt a show. Players were left frustrated as they were unable to break the defense.

Nottingham Forest creating a threat on the counters

The away side was proving to be a strong defensive side. Liverpool players struggled to run behind the defenders. Nuno decided to introduce some fresh legs to the attack. He also shifted to a counter-attacking style of football.

Liverpool was on the front foot. They created plenty of chances but were unable to trouble the goalkeeper. Nottingham Forest took advantage of this situation. They created a counter-attack in the 77^th minute. Antony Elanga’s pass was finished at the far post by Callum Hudson-Odoi. The former Chelsea player curled the ball past Alisson and scored the goal in style.

This goal proved to be a crucial factor in Forest’s run for their second win. The away side maintained a tight defensive line and stopped Liverpool from breaking their defence. Arne Slot’s side suffered a big loss.

Manchester City grabbed this opportunity and won their fourth game in a row. Erling Haaland scored a brace to take his tally to nine goals in four matches. He averages more than two goals per match.

The Reds will travel to Milan and face AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League. Slot’s team will then play against Bournemouth in the league. His team needs a big comeback in the upcoming matches.