Liverpool Collapse at Anfield as Nottingham Forest Win 3–0

Liverpool returned to Anfield with optimism after welcoming both Alisson and Alexander Isak back into the starting line-up, but any hope of a reset after the international break quickly unravelled in a chastening 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Arne Slot’s side looked disjointed from the outset and were punished by a Forest team that arrived in the relegation zone yet left with a first clean sheet of the season.

The visitors struck first in the 33rd minute with their opening meaningful chance of the match. Murillo met a corner that Liverpool had gifted away through a needless error by Ibrahima Konaté and lashed his finish past Alisson. VAR took only a brief look before confirming the goal, and Forest suddenly had a foothold.

Two minutes later, Sean Dyche’s men thought they had doubled their lead as Igor Jesus found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out after VAR deemed the ball had struck his left bicep before he finished. The reprieve kept Liverpool in the game, though they could consider themselves fortunate to reach the interval only one goal down after an incoherent and error-strewn first half.

Within a minute of the second half, Forest extended their lead. Former Liverpool full-back Neco Williams drove down the right and squared for Savona, who hammered his finish high into the top-right corner.

The third goal arrived in the 79th minute and summed up the hosts’ collapse. Alisson had just made a great save from Hutchinson when the loose ball eventually fell for Morgan Gibbs-White, who rifled it home to seal victory.

It marked the second consecutive 3–0 league defeat for Liverpool on either side of the international break, a run that underlines the scale of their current turmoil.

Anfield grew increasingly restless as Slot’s side failed to show any structure or cohesion in their defending or build-up play.

With this defeat, Liverpool tumble to eleventh in the Premier League table and have now handed Forest their first clean sheet of the campaign. Dyche’s men climb to sixteenth with their third win of the season, while serious questions mount over Liverpool’s direction after another humbling afternoon.