After Liverpool’s disappointing result against Nottingham Forest, which left fans stunned, the only goal of the game came from Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 72nd minute.
This defeat not only ended Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring streak but also brought Arne Slot’s unbeaten run to an ending. Let’s revisit the match and highlight the three main talking points from the game.
1. Costly Errors from Players and Manager
Poor decision-making in the final third disrupted Liverpool’s attacking chances throughout the game. It wasn’t just individual errors but an issue with the overall setup, affecting the entire team.
One moment summed it up when Salah, with three teammates at the far post, opted for a shot that went closer to the corner flag than the goal.
Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz also struggled, and those behind them were no better. Normally accurate passers like Dominik Szoboszlai and Salah saw their completion rates drop significantly.
Alongside the trouble the players were having, none of Slot’s changes to remedy the situation worked, and the second faded out rather than bringing Liverpool back into the game.
2. Failure to capitalize on opportunities
Liverpool only managed five shots on target compared to Nottingham Forest’s three They created an xG of just 0.87. Moving forward, Liverpool may need to take more risks to create a winning atmosphere.
Federico Chiesa’s debut could have injected energy, yet strangely, he was left out of the squad, with four defenders on the bench instead. Given the lack of defensive battles won and the need for a proactive midfielder, it’s surprising Wataru Endo wasn’t used.
By the time Liverpool realized they needed him, it was too late. Additionally, seven of the starting XI had played the full 180 minutes during the international break, which was evident in their performance.
“We lost the ball so many times in simple situations. That, I think, is the main story from the game; ball possession not good enough.”
“Too many individual performances in ball possession were not of the standards that I am used to from these players.”
Arne Slot on Post Match Press Conference
3. Trent’s midfield dilemma
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s midfield experiment was first initiated by Jürgen Klopp and later exploited by Gareth Southgate. Klopp aimed to leverage TAA’s impressive passing and vision to enhance Liverpool’s build-up play.
To Ignite Liverpool’s struggling attack in the second half, Conor Bradley replaced Alexis Mac Allister, allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to move into midfield. This shift altered the midfield shape to a 1-2 formation, with Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai alongside each other and Gravenberch holding in front of the back four.
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As The Reds faces a series of crucial fixtures ahead, they must address their recent problems under Slot to bounce back and secure positive results in these high-stakes matches.
