🔗 Share this article

Liverpool's head coach stated he had to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a 6th loss in seven Premier League matches on their own turf to Forest and insisted he would find a way from the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, produced the biggest victory at Anfield in their history as the Merseyside club slipped to an 8th loss in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and the home side argued the defender's opener ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s chalked-off goal versus Manchester City before the international break. But the manager admitted the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.

“No one wants to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine myself first and my squad, but it demonstrates you how a goal can change the flow of a game. Earlier I was just waiting for us to net a strike. Later we hardly created anything.

“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the talented footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you look back you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we improve, where can we make changes?’ but that is something else from questioning your abilities.

“I wish to emphasise I am responsible for the current losses. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can never provide sufficient excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

The team's display fell apart as Slot made multiple attacking changes when pursuing the match. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he scored immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s probably stupid.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in back-to-back home league games by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive top-flight games by a three-goal scoreline was in the mid-60s.

Slot said: “It was very bad. Playing on home soil, conceding 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I haven’t seen us producing so much in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the whole season, and the initial occasion they entered in our penalty area they scored.

“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other game we have been the dominant team and were capable to create opportunities. Lately it is almost constantly that we fail to convert our opportunities and the attempts we concede find the net.”