Liverpool Snatch Late Victory at Nottingham Forest as Arne Slot Faces Fresh Questions

On the latest episode of Anfield Index’s Postmatch Raw, Trev Downey was joined by Dave Hendrick and Jim Boardman to dissect Liverpool’s 1–0 win over Nottingham Forest. It was, in Trev’s words, “a smash and grab,” the sort of result that “we’ll grab up greedily as often as we can between now and the end of the season.”

For Liverpool and Arne Slot, three points were all that mattered. The performance, however, told a more complicated story.

Dave did not mince his words about the opening period, calling it “an atrocious performance by Liverpool in the first half. One of the worst performances we’ve seen by them this season.” He added that while the second half improved, “it moved from absolutely atrocious to just bad.”

Forest, meanwhile, impressed. Dave asked pointedly, “How are they where they are in the league? That’s a really good team.” He went further, describing their midfield as “just flat out better than ours,” highlighting Elliot Anderson and Sangaré “monstering us all over the pitch.”

Nottingham Forest Deserved More

Nottingham Forest created the better chances and carried greater energy. Jim observed that “most other teams would have absolutely hammered us today,” pointing to the volume of opportunities Forest squandered.

Dave praised Forest’s squad depth, noting they were “bringing on international quality in midfield” while Liverpool were “bringing on a 17-year-old.” He described Morgan Gibbs-White as “an absolutely phenomenal footballer, works like a dog off the ball,” and singled out Elliot Anderson, saying, “He was bullying our midfield today.”

When Alexis Mac Allister’s first goal was ruled out for handball, Dave was blunt: “I think that goal probably should be given.” Jim agreed, saying, “It was just the wrong decision.”

Yet justice, of sorts, arrived late.

Arne Slot Under Pressure

Much of the podcast focused on Arne Slot and what Dave described as cultural drift.

“This is the culture that Ara has brought to the club. And it’s simply not acceptable,” Dave said, criticising time off and standards. He was emphatic, stating, “He’s lost the dressing room. He has. He has unquestionably lost the dressing room.”

Mohamed Salah’s performance was described as “a tough watch.” Dave said Salah “had a really poor game today” and questioned his application, calling it “an attitudinal problem. That’s a mentality problem.”

There was frustration, too, at team selection. Dave argued, “There is no logical reason at this point in the season for Ryan Gravenber to be starting games. None.” He described Gravenber as having “been bad since last January.”

Despite this, Liverpool found a way. After Mac Allister’s earlier disallowed effort, the Argentine struck in the 96th minute. Jim summed up the relief: “In the end, we got the goal, we got the win.”

Liverpool Lean Into the Points

For all the criticism, both contributors acknowledged the table matters most. Dave admitted, “The only thing that mattered today was the three points. We’ve gotten the three points.”

He also warned that this level will not suffice in upcoming fixtures: “We won’t win them if we play like that.”

Liverpool’s win at Nottingham Forest may prove significant in the race for Champions League qualification. As Trev put it, “The points are in the bag. The table… looks healthy.”

Whether Arne Slot can restore cohesion and belief remains an open question. For now, Liverpool lean into a hard earned victory that felt, in Trev’s phrase, “the archetypal win ugly scenario.”

Results, ultimately, have a habit of rewriting narratives. But as the Anfield Index panel made clear, deeper issues at Liverpool persist beneath the surface of this smash and grab triumph.