🔗 Share this article

Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth defeat in 7 Premier League games at home against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would find a solution from the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the largest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as the Merseyside club fell to an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was once more unnoticeable and the home side contended the defender's opener should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's chalked-off goal against City prior to the national team pause. But Slot admitted the buck stopped with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wishes to hear me now talking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine myself first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can change the momentum of a game. Before I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Afterwards we barely created anything.

“Of course there is a path forward, particularly with the talented players we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you reflect you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we improve, in what aspects can we make changes?’ but that is something else from questioning yourself.

“I wish to emphasise I am responsible for the present defeats. You are answerable when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can not provide enough reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

The team's display fell apart as Slot made multiple attacking substitutions when chasing the game. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s likely unwise.”

Liverpool last lost two successive at Anfield Premier League fixtures against Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The last time they suffered consecutive league games by a three-goal margin was in the mid-60s.

The manager said: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result. Surprising if you look at the opening 30 minutes of the game. I haven’t seen us creating so many chances in the opening half-hour perhaps the entire campaign, and the initial occasion they entered in our penalty area they found the back of the net.

“It wasn’t at City, but in all other game we have been the dominant team and were able to generate chances. Recently it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we concede find the net.”