The Anfield stronghold fell for the first time in the 4th round of the current Premier League season. Liverpool performed poorly, while Nottingham Forest played very consistently. The final score was 0-1, but what did we learn from this match?
The Iron Eleven
Arne Slot is clearly a believer in the principle that you don’t change a winning team. The Dutch manager made one change to his starting eleven for the season opener at Portman Road against Ipswich. The Reds have been playing with the same line-up for three games now and it has to be admitted that so far they have been doing great. They seemed like a well-oiled machine, which is undoubtedly a collective but also has the necessary individualities. Adapting the players to the new way of playing has been smooth, not least because Slot’s style is not diametrically opposed to what Jurgen Klopp preferred.
Today, however, they were banging their heads against the wall throughout the match. The final pass was missing and the Anfield players were often inaccurate. The wingers, who had dominated in recent matches and were the Merseyside team’s attacking force, did not shine. The Liverpool players often took shots from unprepared positions, which did not bring the intended result. There was also a lack of an effective idea for breaking through the visitors’ defense.
The changes were also in vain. None of the players brought in were able to take the game upon themselves and really threaten the goal guarded by Matz Sels. Mohamed Salah was a shadow of himself, which resulted in Liverpool ultimately losing the match.
Great potential of the rebuilt team
Nottingham Forest is a team that has been fighting for survival every year since returning to the Premier League in the 2022/23 season until the last rounds. The club changes a lot of players in each transfer window. Such a lack of stability is not conducive to long-term projects. Of course, reinforcements are needed, but there was too much chaos at Forest.
Today’s match showed that this is a team that can hold its own against even the best teams in the Premier League. However, the situation in terms of personnel needs to be calmed down. Eighteen players left the club in the summer, and twelve new players have arrived at the City Ground. Four of them started today: Alex Moreno, Nikola Milenkovic, James Ward-Prowse and Elliot Anderson. They are quality players with great potential, but it will take time for them to fit into Nuno Espírito Santo’s game plan.
Nottingham’s policy is best reflected in the number of goalkeepers who stood between the posts for Forest last season. There were four of them! Matz Sels is currently the club’s number one, and despite a good performance, he also made a terrible mistake. The Belgian let a very easy ball slip out of his hands, which almost went into the goal. Ultimately, however, he kept a clean sheet and saved his team from trouble many times, so his mistake will be quickly forgotten.
Since the start of the current season, Nottingham Forest have been giving a signal that they want to overcome mediocrity. The fans have every right to like their tough, unyielding game. Today, they impressed with their game plan, which they implemented from start to finish. This plan has allowed them to return from the extremely difficult ground that Anfield undoubtedly is with a full set of points.
Brilliant Hudson-Odoi
The moment Callum Hudson-Odoi appeared on the pitch changed the complexion of the match. The visitors began to attack Alisson’s goal more boldly and spent more and more time in Liverpool’s half. Nuno Espirito Santo took a risk, opting for a slightly more offensive option, but it definitely paid off. In the 72nd minute, the Chelsea graduate decided to take a shot from outside the penalty area. His strike was so precise that the Reds’ goalkeeper had nothing to say.
Apart from the goal itself, his introduction clearly livened up the game. He played a significant role in his manager’s plan for the match. This performance probably secured his place in the starting XI for the upcoming match against Brighton. He had a very successful Premier League campaign last season, scoring eight times, which was a huge help for his team to stay up.
Hudson-Odoi was one of the show’s brightest stars, alongside Ola Aina, Elliot Anderson and Alex Moreno.
