Liverpool plunged further into crisis as they slumped to an eighth defeat in 11 matches following a stunning 3–0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Liverpool once again found themselves trailing entering half time despite a bright start, Murillo converting—albeit with a splash of offside controversy thrown in—from a corner to pile more misery on their hosts. Forest were seemingly unlucky not to be further ahead at the whistle, too, Igor Jesus seeing his strike controversially ruled out for handball.
Forest frustration turned to jubilation just moments into the second half as Nicolò Savona took advantage of weak Liverpool defending, with Morgan Gibbs-White adding a third later in proceedings to condemn the hosts to a horrid defeat.
The result effectively ends Liverpool’s title defence—Arsenal eight points clear of them with a game-in-hand—and heaps more pressure on the under-fire Arne Slot.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alisson—6.2: Helpless to prevent Forest’s efforts as he suffered defeat on his return to the team. Succumbed to the same fate as Giorgi Mamardashvili has in recent weeks and was left horribly exposed by an apathetic defence.
RB: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.3: Replaced the injured Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley, offering energy and attacking threat from the right-hand side. It speaks volumes that he was also Liverpool’s best defender.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.4: Saw plenty of the ball, which was an issue for Liverpool, but looked rattled up against Jesus. Another unconvincing performance that saw him withdrawn before the hour mark as Slot shuffled his pack.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.1: Failed to deal with Forest’s initial corner as Murillo fired the visitors in front and lacked any authority in Liverpool’s time of need. Such performances are becoming alarmingly frequent.
LB: Milos Kerkez—6.6: Replaced Andy Robertson in the lineup and made a bright start as he bombed down the left flank. Squandered a strong opportunity to put Liverpool ahead and then faded into the background as things turned ugly.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—6.5: Looked tired in midfield and was outshone by his opposite number Elliot Anderson. Liverpool, as now expected, were far too easy to play through in central areas.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.7: Desperately poor defending from the Argentine for Forest’s second goal, with the previously decisive playmaker offering another limp performance in the engine room.
AM: Curtis Jones—6.9: Not Liverpool’s worst midfielder by any stretch. but was unable to drag the Reds back into the game from an advanced midfield position.
RW: Mohamed Salah—6.8: Showed one flash of brilliance that had the Anfield crowd purring, but reverted to the low standards he’s set this season thereafter. Lacked the necessary end product to offer the Reds any hope of a comeback.
ST: Alexander Isak—5.5: Slot spoke of the need to play Isak into form and the Liverpool boss handed him only his seventh start for the club. That form was not forthcoming, however, with the anonymous Swede managing just 14 touches in total.
LW: Cody Gakpo—6.7: The Dutchman started brightly and was at the heart of Liverpool’s most encouraging attacking moments. However, along with many of his teammates, he faded after Forest’s second.
Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK); Calvin Ramsay, Joe Gomez, Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)
Starting XI: Matz Sels; Nicolò Savona, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, Neco Williams; Ibrahim Sangaré, Elliot Anderson; Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolás Domínguez; Igor Jesus.
Subs used: Omari Hutchinson, Ryan Yates, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Player of the Match: Murillo
Liverpool Player of the Match: Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool 0–3 Nottingham Forest—How It Unfolded at Anfield
Slot made five changes from the bitter defeat to Manchester City before the international period, several enforced by injuries to Bradley and Florian Wirtz, and the alterations certainly aided Liverpool in making a swift start. They would have had the lead within the opening ten minutes had Anderson not blocked on the line from Alexis Mac Allister’s close-range effort.
Liverpool continued to dominate as the first half wore on and created a flurry of half-chances. Milos Kerkez fluffed his lines following some trademark Mohamed Salah magic, while Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo both spurned promising shooting opportunities. Forest just about withstood wave after wave of pressure.
But Liverpool were soon made to pay for their profligacy as Forest’s first corner resulted in the opening goal of the game. Murillo emphatically fired home from close range, with the Reds left frustrated by the presence of Dan Ndoye in an offside position right in front of Alisson—their annoyance born out of the decision to rule out Virgil van Dijk’s header for similar at the Etihad Stadium.
Slot might have been incensed that Murillo’s opener stood, but fortune favoured his side as Forest saw a seemingly legitimate second goal ruled out moments later. Jesus collected a cross inside the penalty area before firing into the bottom corner, but referee Andy Madley ruled the strike out for a handball in the build-up. On closer inspection, any contact with the Brazilian’s arm was incredibly minimal—or entirely non-existent.
It's three for @NFFC at Anfield! 😲
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 22, 2025
Morgan Gibbs-White scoring for the third consecutive match pic.twitter.com/amph0A9mLd
The Reds offered little response after falling behind, evidently knocked by conceding another sloppy goal, and within a minute of the restart they fell further behind. Savona was the surprise scorer as Liverpool’s soft centre was exposed once again, the right back expertly redirecting a cross from former Red Neco Williams.
Forest, rather unsurprisingly, sunk deeper into their shape having completed the most challenging part of their assignment, with Liverpool finding it tough to break through Sean Dyche’s characteristically stubborn rearguard. The Reds huffed and puffed, but looked bereft of confidence in the final third.
There was even time for things to go from dire to disaster for Liverpool. More questionable defending allowed Omari Hutchinson to rattle an effort at Alisson, with Gibbs-White on hand to convert the rebound on a dreamy afternoon for Forest and a nightmarish one for the reigning champions.
Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest Half Time Stats
Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest: Isak Shocking, Slot Under Huge Pressure.
