🔗 Share this article

Arne Slot stated he had to “examine my own performance” following the Reds suffered a 6th defeat in 7 English top-flight matches on their own turf against Forest and affirmed he would discover a way out of the champions’ poor run.

Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, delivered the largest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool fell to an 8th defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was once more unnoticeable and Liverpool argued Murillo’s first goal ought to have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City prior to the international break. But Slot admitted the buck stopped with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wants to hear me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I should examine my own role first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can alter the momentum of a match. Before I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Afterwards we hardly generated any chances.

“Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality footballers we have. No matter if you triumph or are beaten when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we improve, where can we make changes?’ but that is something else from questioning your abilities.

“I want to stress I am responsible for the present defeats. You are responsible when you are winning but also responsible when you are losing. I can never come up with enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.”

Liverpool’s performance fell apart as the coach introduced several attacking changes when chasing the match. “It was the identical away at Forest last season,” he said. “I took the French defender off and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. At that time it was courageous, currently it’s likely unwise.”

Liverpool last lost back-to-back at Anfield league games by Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost back-to-back top-flight matches by a three-goal margin was in 1965.

Slot commented: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you face is a terrible outcome. Surprising if you look at the first half-hour of the match. I did not witness us producing so much in the initial 30 minutes maybe the entire season, and the initial occasion they entered in our box they found the back of the net.

“It wasn’t at City, but in all other game we have been the controlling team and were able to generate opportunities. Recently it is nearly consistently that we fail to convert our chances and the ones we concede go in.”