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Liverpool 0 Nottingham Forest 1: Hudson-Odoi gives Forest first win at Anfield since 1969
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Liverpool 0 Nottingham Forest 1: Hudson-Odoi gives Forest first win at Anfield since 1969

Callum Hudson-Odoi became the first player to score against Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the Premier League. What a bull’s-eye!

Nottingham Forest secured their first victory at Anfield since February 1969 when Nuno Espirito Santo’s side recorded a surprise win.

Only Manchester City now hold a 100 percent record in England’s top division, while Liverpool face a back-to-the-drawing challenge after Slot’s bright start at Anfield came to an abrupt end.

Gregg Evans and James Pearce analyze the key topics of conversation….


Castle’s first setback – how will his team respond?

Slot left the field with a face full of anger as Liverpool’s perfect start to the season fell apart at Anfield.

The setback is the first major blow for the head coach since his departure from Feyenoord this summer.

Liverpool underperformed and despite a number of tactical changes during the game, it was the man in the away dugout who devised the master plan.

Liverpool, Nottingham Forest


Hudson-Odoi celebrates putting Forest ahead (Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images)

Nottingham Forest held Liverpool back in the first half but then held their nerve after taking the lead and securing their first win at Anfield in 55 years.

Slot, who had arranged everything so well in these first weeks of the season, had no answer and could not bring about a turnaround. His team kept pushing and exploring, but there was no end product and eventually they were exhausted.

With a busy run of fixtures ahead, it is now up to the Dutchman to pick up the players after a surprise defeat ahead of this week’s return to the Champions League, his first major test in the Liverpool hot seat.

Gregg Evans


Did the triple substitution pay off?

Slot had an in-depth conversation with assistant Sipke Hulshoff on the sidelines.

The groans from the stands grew louder as attack after attack broke down and the final ball repeatedly left Liverpool stranded. A sense of frustration grew as a scrappy game remained goalless.

Just before the hour, the Dutch national coach took action with a daring triple substitution.

Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz, who left as expected after their international duties in South America, were replaced, along with Diogo Jota.

Trent Alexander-Arnold probably feared the worst when he saw Conor Bradley come on, but the vice-captain was moved into midfield to make way for the Northern Irishman. Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were also brought on.

But rather than improving Liverpool, the changes caused them to fall apart even more. The lack of fluidity was alarming, as promising moves repeatedly failed.

Nunez was unable to provide the attacking focus they needed as he let his control slip and it became far too easy for Forest to get past the home side when they counter-attacked.

Liverpool paid the price when Anthony Elanga found Hudson-Odoi, who sliced ​​past Bradley and curled a low shot into the far corner.


Liverpool respond to deficit (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Slot responded with another tactical adjustment, playing with three men at the back. He replaced Ibrahima Konate with Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson with Kostas Tsimikas. But to no avail.

James Pearce


Why did Liverpool offer so little up front?

On a day when a single clinical goal from Nottingham Forest made all the difference, it was clear that Liverpool were lacking up front.

Slot adopted the same attacking line that had started the season so well, but there were no magic moments. Liverpool had 70 percent possession and 34 touches in Forest’s penalty area, but generated an xG of just 0.87.

Mo Salah in particular was below par, first thwarted by Alex Moreno in the opening period and then so wasteful in possession after the break. Jota had three shots on target but only one on target and was out of the game for long periods before retiring on the hour mark.

Darwin Nunez may have been unlucky not to start after spending the last two weeks training extra due to his international suspension with Uruguay, but when he came on he was quiet and unable to find a spark.

Diaz came close to scoring for Liverpool in the first half but was deflected off the post. His replacement Cody Gakpo had little impact as the home side continued to hunt for victory in the closing stages.

Federico Chiesa was not in the squad but he could be needed in the coming games as Liverpool look to play AC Milan in the Champions League next week to recover.

Gregg Evans


What did Arne Slot say?

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Slot said: “(It was) disappointing. Without the ball we did what we had to do, I think – we hardly conceded any goals apart from the one that led to the goal. But you have to do a lot better when you have 70 per cent possession; you have to create a lot more chances than the two, three or four we had. It would have helped if some of the individual performances had been a bit better today as well.”


What’s next for Liverpool?

Tuesday, September 17: AC Milan (away), Champions League, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET

Saturday September 21: Bournemouth (home), Premier League, 15:00 BST, 10:00 ET


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(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images))