Liverpool’s Slide Deepens as Forest Expose Fragile Champions
Cracks Widen in Slot’s Second Season
Anfield has witnessed many storms, but few have arrived with the sudden ferocity of Liverpool’s current collapse. This 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest felt like the definitive moment when doubts hardened into something more structural. What was discussed as a wobble after a few early-season setbacks now resembles a full-scale unraveling of last season’s champions, a side that once brimmed with authority and carried itself with a certainty shaped by their coach’s clarity.
Arne Slot’s words to BBC Sport’s Match of the Day reflect the tone of crisis at Liverpool.
“Another big disappointment,” he admitted, before expanding on the match’s turning point. “We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0 and we weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour.”
Slot’s candid addition felt even more telling. “If things go well or things go bad, it’s my responsibility.” The honesty was admirable, but the pattern he referenced has become painfully familiar. His final reflection felt symbolic of Liverpool’s season. “We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things but it didn’t work out.”
Struggling Stars and Stuttering Structure
When a manager’s new era stalls, the spotlight often sharpens on marquee signings. Alexander Isak, secured for £125m in a transfer saga that dominated summer headlines, has become the most visible symbol of Liverpool’s regression. His display here was “peripheral, lightweight and lost” as described by the BBC, and mirrored the team’s broader dislocation. When he was replaced by Federico Chiesa, relief rippled across Anfield.
Florian Wirtz, another high profile arrival at £116m, has also faltered. Injured for this match, his Premier League return of no goals and no assists sums up Liverpool’s wider creative drought. Mohamed Salah remains the outlier, the one player whose spark persists even amid structural decline. Yet no individual can mask numbers this stark. Six league defeats from seven. Two home league losses in three, matching the previous 53 combined. A once formidable defence now conceding nine goals from set pieces.
Forest’s goals told their own story. Murillo’s opener from a corner, then the almost effortless creation that allowed Nicola Savona to score inside 39 seconds of the restart, followed later by Morgan Gibbs-White’s composed finish. Each moment underscored Liverpool’s drop in intensity, urgency and belief. These qualities once defined Klopp’s final years and also Slot’s debut campaign, but have been conspicuous by their absence since August.
Pressure Mounts as Anfield Grows Restless
Martin Keown’s verdict for BBC Sport captured the mood of alarm. “The wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot,” he said. “It was Jurgen Klopp’s team and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent £450m on players and they are going backwards.” While Slot’s position is not immediately under threat, the psychological weight is clear. Liverpool sit 11th, already eight points behind Arsenal who have a game in hand, and are unlikely to defend their title.
Slot’s tactical gamble when substituting Ibrahima Konate for Hugo Ekitike spoke volumes. Instead of a measured adjustment, it felt like a desperate attempt to find something, anything, to spark a reaction. It never arrived. The fans did not turn, but silence can be more damning than protest. The old Anfield belief, the roar that once converted deficits into folklore, was replaced with resignation.
Search for Identity After Title Glory
The comparison with last season is stark. Liverpool were defined by a pulse, an intensity, a resilience that shaped their run to the Premier League crown. What made the champions formidable was their bond between structure and personality, their ability to overwhelm opponents through tempo and conviction. That identity has fractured. Confidence looks shaken, combinations feel uncertain and the team once built to outrun and out-think now appears flat and heavy.
This is no longer about retaining a title. It is about salvaging a season and stabilising a project that suddenly looks exposed. If Slot is to re-establish order, he must rediscover the principles that powered their title charge. The foundations have not disappeared but have been obscured by confusion, inconsistency and pressure that grows with every passing week. Liverpool can still recover, but the road now appears long, steep and unforgiving.
Our View – Anfield Index Analysis
Fans will feel wounded by both the performance and its symbolism. What hurts most is that Liverpool look unrecognisable from the team that roared through the 2024 to 2025 campaign with intensity, movement and belief. Supporters do not expect endless perfection, but they do expect heart, purpose and clarity. All three feel missing.
The Isak situation has become a lightning rod. Supporters have patience when players show fight or promise, but the lack of presence from a striker who cost £125m is becoming a major concern. Fans can accept rustiness, but not anonymity. Wirtz’s struggles add to frustration, with many questioning why so much money was spent without addressing defensive depth or midfield robustness.
Supporters will look at the set piece statistics with disbelief. Nine goals conceded from these situations already, matching the entire tally from last season, is unacceptable for a side that expects to challenge at the top. These are controllable details and Liverpool have always prided themselves on that.
The biggest worry for fans is the loss of identity. Slot’s first season had cohesion and flair, but now Liverpool appear stuck between styles. This team can still revive their campaign, but something needs to change quickly. Fans want courage, structure and accountability, because the badge deserves more than resignation.
