After a superb start to the Premier League season, Arne Slot’s Liverpool came unstuck at Anfield against Nottingham Forest this past weekend.
For the first time in 55 years, Forest came to Liverpool and found a way to win – frustrating the Reds’ attack for Callum Hudson-Odoi netted a fine winning goal in the second half.
So, what did we learn from the game? And what changes does Slot need to make ahead of the clash with AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League this midweek.
We’ve taken a look.
Andy Robertson has played a lot of high-leverage, high-intensity, football over the last eight years, so it some as no surprise to anyone that he’s starting to look a bit leggy when racing up and down the left flank.
The Scotland captain, after a busy week of international football, looked a bit jaded and out of sorts against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and was regularly unable to race back to quell quick counter-attacks.
In order to give the starting left-back some much needed rest, Kostas Tsimikas should be drafted in for the Champions League clash with AC Milan in midweek.
As he’s proven time and time again, he’s more than capable of carrying the load when Robertson is either tired or injured. It’s time for Slot to give him a start.
After a thoroughly impressive outing against Manchester United, Liverpool’s front three of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz were completely out of sorts on Saturday against Forest.
Salah and Jota in particular struggled to complete even the easiest of passes, managing to find teammates with just 35 of their combined 53 attempts.
The latter also missed the only real chance Liverpool managed to create throughout the entirety of the game – fluffing his lines at the back post when found by an Alexis Mac Allister cross.
With those performances in mind, and with the likes of Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez on the bench, now seems like the perfect time for Slot to finally rotate the front three.
Having starred at Euro 2024, Gakpo is perhaps most deserving of a chance in the Liverpool lineup. The Netherlands international can play anywhere along the front three and will be itching to contribute after starting the season as a bit of a bench warmer.
Having sat deep, soaked up pressure, and then won the game via a counter attack, Forest may have given other teams a template for how to get the best of Slot’s Liverpool this season.
The Reds’ slow, rather methodical build-up play proved to be futile against Forest’s low block, and this should be a bit of a tactical wake-up call for Slot when facing ‘lesser’ opposition.
If Slot’s Liverpool are going to brush aside teams in the same manner Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool did, then they need to move the ball quickly in the final third, relying on quick switches of play in order to tire the opposition defence.
