This was the day that Arne Slot found out the Premier League is not all fun and games, as Liverpool and their manager were outwitted by Nuno Espírito Santo and Nottingham Forest. The winger Callum Hudson-Odoi came off the bench to inflict the first defeat of the Dutchman’s Anfield tenure with a trademark goal.
Everything Nuno did worked, from his tactics to team selection and substitutions. His gritty side followed their manager’s instructions to the letter to keep Liverpool at bay for 90 minutes and conjured up numerous counterattacks, with Hudson-Odoi eventually finishing one to earn the points after coming off the bench to give Forest their first win at Anfield since 1969 – 20,300 days and 27 trips here had passed in the meantime. It had been a long wait and their corner of fans celebrated it in such a fashion.
Slot had enjoyed a breezy start to life in England, winning his first three games without conceding. He is confident with his style and players, picking the same starting XI for the third consecutive match but with a very different result. Forest arrived – and left – unbeaten and are growing in confidence under a coach who is able to rotate personnel and tweak tactics depending on the situation.
By the time the winner arrived, Liverpool had received plenty of warnings of the threat posed by Forest on the break. Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga had all squandered chances to break the deadlock but it was Hudson-Odoi who would eventually provide the perfect ending to a fast counterattack. When the former Chelsea man receives the ball on the left, there is only one destination in his mind. He cut inside, although Conor Bradley made it far too easy for him to make his choreographed move, before curling the ball into the corner beyond Alisson.
Nuno’s plan was to pack the middle of the pitch, selecting five central midfielders, in an attempt to nullify Liverpool in the areas they have controlled in the opening three wins. Ryan Yates was appointed the irritator-in-chief as he irked the majority inside Anfield with his aggressive play, causing numerous stoppages as Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister needed treatment for knocks.
A goal would have provided a much-needed balm but Luis Díaz hit the base of a post, Diogo Jota sent a good chance straight at Matz Sels and Virgil van Dijk headed a corner wide. Liverpool were creating opportunities but they were unable to be clinical in the critical moments before the break, although Trent Alexander-Arnold caused Sels concern when he was forced to tip a corner over the bar.
Liverpool were uncharacteristically wasteful in their output, Mohamed Salah being the biggest culprit. They had 14 shots but only five were on target, lacking composure when it mattered. Slot made a triple substitution at the hour mark, realising things were not going Liverpool’s way but it was Nuno’s changes that had the greatest effect as his narrow team added the width of Hudson-Odoi and Elanga to make the most of the space offered in behind.
Sels produced a number of saves but was not tested to extremes, although he did almost gift Liverpool a goal. The Belgian tried to take a looping ball under the crossbar, only to drop it through his own legs. The Belgian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it bounce on the line, as the fans waited to see if Michael Oliver’s watch would vibrate, before taking hold at the second time of asking. Forest got a bit of luck for all their hard work.
Ola Aina was superb at right-back to keep Díaz and later Cody Gakpo quiet, epitomising the work ethic and defensive cunning instilled by Nuno. Forest were resolute for 90 minutes and frustration grew around Anfield as Liverpool failed to break down the visitors, each misplaced pass was greeted with a groan. Nothing seemed to work on the day, instead going down blind allies as they were stifled by Forest.
Slot will need to brush off his first defeat as things do not get simpler, as this was the start of seven matches in 22 days. After being broken in before the international break, Slot is about to learn what life is like as the Liverpool manager.
