Nottingham Forest will be forced to have some "grown-up conversations" as they review a performance which made for uncomfortable viewing live... and will no doubt be even worse watching back.
Head coach Steve Cooper criticised his team for a lack of competitive edge as the Reds were humbled 5-0 at Arsenal. After becoming harder to beat as they made positive strides in recent weeks - and having seen off Liverpool at the City Ground - the visitors’ display in the capital represented a backward step.
Cooper does not want his players to shy away from that when it comes to reflecting on their thumping at the Emirates Stadium. And he believes acknowledging how they fell short will be crucial for bouncing back in home league games against Brentford and Crystal Palace before the World Cup break.
READ MORE: How the Reds rated against Arsenal
READ MORE: Cooper makes Forest admission after 'step backwards'
"It wasn't just about winning last week - and with it being quite a high-profile win against Liverpool - it felt like the last few games we had been much better at what we fell way short of this time, which was just being hard to beat and competing in a football match," Cooper said.
"We have to have some grown-up conversations, both with myself, staff and definitely players, and be honest about how it was. We have to aim to be much better going forward.
"We learn from every game. It's a difficult scoreline, but also a really difficult performance to look back on and review.
"You could see, watching it live, that we weren't competitive enough. What we have to do, as a group, is face up to it, reflect and review accordingly - which will be challenging, because it won't be great viewing - and do much better.
"At the end of the day, it was clear that was going on, particularly in the second half, and we got punished. But you will do at this level - not just against a side top of the league, but in any game.
"Since the Leicester game (a 4-0 defeat), we've been much better and harder to beat. That has to be the base that we start any game from, but it wasn't this time. We've only got ourselves to blame."
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