Arne Slot’s 100 per cent record as Liverpool manager is over four games into the Premier League season, and were the Dutchman’s tactics to blame?
That’s what talkSPORT pundit and former striker Darren Bent believes, after noticing a bold tactical change that led to the Reds’ downfall against Nottingham Forest – who secured their first win at Anfield in 55 years.
Nottingham Forest delivered Slot’s first defeat as Liverpool manager – and it was at Anfield, tooGetty
Nuno’s tactical ‘masterclass’ led the Tricky Trees to an unlikely victory on MerseysideGetty
It was a shock result as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men stunned the home fans into silence, and showed the impact good substitutions can have.
Liverpool controlled the game, but were made to pay for a lack of creativity and verve in the final third.
Forest, meanwhile, defended solidly and looked to hit on the counter – and that’s exactly what they did to take all three points away from Merseyside.
As the Reds grew more and more frustrated, Slot responded by throwing on sub after sub, while also moving Trent Alexander-Arnold from right-back to central midfield, in hope that it would help unlock Forest’s defence.
Forest, meanwhile, made two substitutions in the second-half that completely turned the tide – and it appeared to be a more targeted move to exploit a clear weakness in the Liverpool XI.
Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi entered the field and immediately gave Forest more attacking potency, with the pair combining for the visitors’ winning goal.
Bent, who was commentating on the game for talkSPORT on Saturday afternoon, stated it was a genius move from the Forest boss.
“It’s an absolute masterstroke from Nuno holding those two on the bench, Hudson-Odoi and Elanga,” said the pundit.
“You thought, tactically, what are they going to do? But this second half has been perfect.
“The goal all starts with Elanga driving the ball 50 yards up the pitch, carrying the ball for his team and putting a crossfield pass along the ground straight to Hudson-Odoi, and he had one idea and one idea only, to face up Conor Bradley.
Bent says moving Alexander-Arnold to midfield and bringing Bradley on at right-back was an error from SlotGetty
Elanga and Hudson-Odoi changed the game for ForestGetty
Liverpool failed to make the most of their possession against Forest
“He does that, he dips his shoulder inside he almost uses Konate as a shield and bends the ball around him, onto the far post and into the net – it’s a fantastic finish from the edge of the box.
“But it’s no more than Nottingham Forest deserve. Those two players have caused some problems. Forest have counter-attacked really well, they’ve defended deep and Liverpool have not really shown anything going forward.
“Forest have definitely caused more problems since Conor Bradley moved to right-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold moving to centre-midfield instead.
“Liverpool have been quite poor. Salah’s getting frustrated taking on shots that maybe he shouldn’t do, and on the flip side Hudson-Odoi has come off the bench, looked at Conor Bradley and gone, ‘Every single time I’m getting this ball I’m going to go at you’. That’s exactly what he’s done.
“Him and Elanga have completely taken this game away from Liverpool. Every single time one of them gets the ball, they get at their full-backs.
“They’re not scared to go and be on them as well. They’ve mixed it up, they’ve come short, they’re running behind. They’ve been fantastic.
“It’s been the perfect game plan from Nuno… and for Liverpool, there’s just been no sharpness, no inventiveness. Everything’s straight lines, no one’s coming short, No little combinations in and around the box.”
Liverpool had plenty of chances to take the game away from the Tricky Trees, having managed 14 shots on their goal.
But only five of those were in target, with Luis Diaz hitting the post and both Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez being denied by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels from close-range.
Nunez was one of five substitutions made by Slot in the second-half, with Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas joining Nunez and Bradley off the bench in an attempt to push them over the line.
But the Liverpool goal that seemed inevitable never actually came.
Hudson-Odoi breezed past Bradley on his way to scoring Forest’s winnerAFP
By contrast, Forest had five shots on Liverpool’s goal, three on target, and one goal.
It was all they needed, the Nuno’s men stood firm against wave after wave of attack to hold on for their first win at Liverpool since 1969 – when Barry Lyons scored both goals of a 2-0 victory.
Slot earned a lot of plaudits for his team’s performances in their first three games of the season – wins over Ipswich, Brentford and a 3-0 drubbing of Manchester United – but this defeat does not reflect well on him.
Adrian Durham added to the Merseysiders’ misery, saying on air: “Has Arne Slot been figured out already in the Premier League?
“Also, since he’s been at Forest, all Callum Hudson-Odoi has done is cut inside from the left and try and curl it into the corner. Does Arne Slot not know this? Does Liverpool not know this?
“It’s extraordinary.”
Liverpool have just three days to recover from the disappointing loss – they travel to Italy to face AC Milan in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.
