Liverpool's defence of the English Premier League title suffered a catastrophic blow on Saturday evening, November 22, in a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Anfield Humiliation Seals Unwanted Record
The Reds were outplayed in their own fortress, a loss that sees them plummet to 11th in the league table. This marks their heaviest home defeat since a 4-1 loss to Manchester City back in 2021. More significantly, the club has broken a 60-year-old record, as this is the first time since April 1965 under Bill Shankly that Liverpool have lost back-to-back league games by a margin of three or more goals.
How the Defeat Unfolded
The visitors took a surprise lead in the 33rd minute through Brazilian defender Murillo, who pounced on a loose ball and slotted it calmly into the bottom left corner. The shock for the home crowd was compounded just after half-time when Nicolo Savona doubled Forest's lead in the 46th minute, converting an assist from Neco Williams.
Any hope of a Liverpool comeback was extinguished in the 78th minute by Morgan Gibbs-White, who showed sharp reactions to tap in a rebound from the Liverpool goalkeeper, sealing a memorable and dominant victory for the visiting side.
Slot Takes Responsibility for Liverpool's Collapse
Under immense pressure, Liverpool manager Arne Slot faced the media and shouldered the blame for his team's dismal performance. The Dutch tactician admitted his team's creative failures and his own tactical missteps were to blame for the crushing loss.
"If things go well or things go bad it's always my responsibility," Slot stated. "We weren't able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things that didn't really work out. We weren't able to score a goal."
He acknowledged the team is in a "very bad spell" but urged his players to keep their heads up and work hard to turn their fortunes around, especially with a crucial Champions League match on the horizon.
The statistics paint a grim picture for the reigning champions. Liverpool are now just the fourth side in Premier League history to start a season as defending champions with over six defeats in their first 12 games, joining the infamous company of Blackburn Rovers (1995-96), Chelsea (2015-16), and Leicester City (2016-17). The Reds have now lost eight of their last 11 games across all competitions.
Fans React to the Crisis
The shocking result has sent social media into a frenzy, with fans and pundits alike expressing their disbelief and frustration at the team's dramatic decline.
- @JasonCryptoFTW quipped: "Liverpool is currently walking alone at Anfield."
- @Khris_AFC added: "Blud was showing off with KLOPPs SQUAD last season and y'all thought he was generational.. I love football why Argue when you can just WAIT."
- @YassirLFCX criticized the team's attack, saying: "Having Salah and Gakpo as your main creators gives you results like this. They can't even dribble past anyone."
With the title defence in ruins and the team's form in freefall, manager Arne Slot faces a monumental task to salvage Liverpool's season and restore confidence at Anfield.
