How Forest tactically exposed Liverpool

What’s wrong with Liverpool, exactly?

The defending champions have now lost six of their previous seven league games following Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat at home against Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool lost 11th in the Premier League with their joint-heaviest home defeat of the previous two teams, placing them 11th overall.

Forest capitalized on Liverpool’s inconsistent form this season from set pieces to open the scoring.

Without penalties, Slot’s team has conceded nine league goals from setpieces this year, more than they did last season.

Liverpool only had two players in the six-yard box for the first goal, including goalkeeper Alisson, while the visitors did so cleverly for the visitors.

While their other player duelled with Virgil van Dijk, he was hampered by one of these players’ light pressure on Alisson, who was unable to move.

The real fight took place in the middle of the box, where Forest and Liverpool faced off against Liverpool’s four, including Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Mohamed Salah.

Salah gestured to Mac Allister and demanded that the Argentine pick up Murillo, one of Forest’s most dangerous players, at the beginning of the routine.

Because he was being preoccupied with the player he was supposed to mark, Mac Allister was unable to accomplish this. He remained close to his player throughout the corner, giving Murillo a spare hand.

Gibbs-White narrowly missed heading the ball unmarked at the near-post as the cross was being played in.

Byproducts of van Dijk’s occupation of another Forest player and Szoboszlai picking up Salah’s man instead of Gibbs-White included him being free.

In the end, Forest scored thanks to poor communication between Salah and the four Liverpool players in the middle of the box.

Salah’s defensive contribution to Forest’s second goal was once more tapped.

On the left flank, the visitors discovered three players. Salah, Curtis Jones, and Szoboszlai were numerically equal to them by Liverpool.

Ryan Gravenberch was cleverly drawn out by Gibbs-White’s movement from the center of midfield out to the left wing.

In this situation, Neco Williams’ run from the touchline to the middle was not followed.

As Forest moved closer to the goal, they dumped a number of players into the box, causing them to also drop deeper.

Nicolo Savona could enter and score in front of the back line thanks to this opening.

Two main themes emerge, despite the lack of overlap between the first and second goals.

First of all, Salah lost track of his man for both goals as Liverpool aimed to defend in a man-to-man manner.

Second, ahead of a Liverpool defensive line that had dropped deep without any cover in front of it, space appeared for the scorer.

Omari Hutchinson was found in space on the wing for Forest’s third goal thanks to a quick switch.

With the ball in hand and with enough room to move forward with momentum, Hutchinson took it in front of the goal.

This notion was also evident in Manchester United’s first goal against Liverpool this year.

Amad Diallo separated the ball on that occasion. Amad could dribble at the defender unopposed before helping Bryan Mbeumo because of the distance between him and his full-back.

Because they give the winger complete control of the situation, these situations are incredibly challenging to defend against.

Hutchinson’s individuality was evident when he defeated Alisson and shot Andy Robertson in the inside.

The position of Mac Allister is what stands out in this instance. The Argentina midfielder attempted to block the shot, but did so again from the central position in front of the defensive line.

Gibbs-White entered unopposedly into this space.

Liverpool will have to address this issue as well, which also includes other issues that came up for all three goals in the same way.

With Mac Allister lacking defensive midfield partners, Slot’s substitutions led to a heavily skewed performance from his team when the third goal came in.

Because of this, he cannot bear the entire charge alone.

The lack of balance, intensity, and chemistry that have been the driving force behind Liverpool’s continued success are what the goals conceded against Forest do, though.

All of this is not to diminish Forest’s performance either.