Liverpool’s season plunged further into turmoil on Saturday after a ruthless Nottingham Forest side handed the reigning Premier League champions a bruising 3–0 defeat on their home turf.
The loss, Liverpool’s sixth in seven league fixtures leaves Arne Slot’s struggling squad eight points behind leaders Arsenal and mired in 11th place.
Anfield was stunned in the 33rd minute when Murillo lashed in the opener after Liverpool failed to clear Elliott Anderson’s corner.
The goal left Slot visibly furious on the touchline, with the manager insisting Forest forward Dan Ndoye had impeded goalkeeper Alisson Becker, a situation he argued was similar to the interference that nullified Virgil van Dijk’s effort in Liverpool’s recent 3–0 defeat to Manchester City.
Forest struck again moments into the second half.
Neco Williams found space down the flank and squared for Nicolo Savona, who calmly guided his effort past Alisson to double the visitors’ lead.
Liverpool’s defence continued to unravel.
In the 78th minute, Omari Hutchinson forced a save, only for Morgan Gibbs-White to react quickest and fire home the rebound, sealing a humiliating result and sending the away fans into delirium.
The defeat marked the second successive season in which Forest have triumphed at Anfield, adding further pressure on a Liverpool side enduring one of their poorest runs in decades.
The Reds have now suffered eight defeats in their last 11 matches in all competitions, an alarming slide for a team that spent more than £400 million during the summer in an attempt to strengthen the squad.
It is also the first time since 1965 that Liverpool have lost back-to-back league games by a margin of three goals.
Slot acknowledged earlier in the week that the team has yet to recover emotionally from the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash in Spain in July.
That sombre reality was evident once again as Liverpool produced another dispirited performance lacking urgency, cohesion and confidence.
Big-money signing Alexander Isak endured another frustrating afternoon.
The Swedish striker, acquired from Newcastle for a British-record fee, was withdrawn in the second half of his fourth league appearance for the club still without a Premier League goal.
Forest manager Sean Dyche praised his players for their discipline and efficiency, noting that the team executed their game plan “exactly as required” against a vulnerable Liverpool outfit.
For the Reds, however, the result intensifies scrutiny on Slot, whose attempts to rebuild the side have faltered under the weight of poor form, injuries and the emotional toll of the summer tragedy.
Liverpool now face mounting pressure to rescue a season spiralling away from them, while Forest’s victory boosts their momentum as the campaign enters a critical phase.
