Nottm Forest 1-0 Liverpool (Sep 14, 2024) Game Analysis

A superb second-half goal from substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi gave Nottingham Forest the biggest surprise win of the Premier League season so far as they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday.

The win was Forest’s first at Anfield since 1969, and the players and the away fans celebrated accordingly as the home crowd was left to rue a rudderless display from the Reds that lacked a cutting edge.

Liverpool dominated the opening half, and Luis Díaz came close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute, hustling to keep the ball in play on the Forest goal line and cutting inside before firing a rasping shot off the near post.

Two minutes later, Mohamed Salah crossed beautifully with the outside of his left boot for Dominik Szoboszlai, whose header went just wide as Liverpool increased the pressure.

In truth, though, Salah was being well-contained by Forest fullback Álex Moreno, who was relentless in his pursuit of the Egypt international before being replaced late on.

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Liverpool coach Arne Slot must have suspected that it was not going to be his day when Forest keeper Matz Sels impressed late in the first half, scrambling to keep out a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner that almost dipped under the bar, and saving smartly from a Carlos Mac Allister header a minute later.

Selz then almost gifted Liverpool the lead before the break as Díaz ballooned a header up in the air and the goalkeeper almost clawed it into his own net as he tried to collect it, but he was able to recover and avert the danger.

For all the chances they created in the first half, the Liverpool attackers found themselves on different wavelengths all too often, and much of their play lacked their usual fluidity as chances went begging.

Their wastefulness was punished in the 72nd minute as Anthony Elanga found his fellow substitute Hudson-Odoi with a brilliant crossfield ball, and the 23-year-old winger cut inside before curling a tremendous effort past goalkeeper Alisson.

Having convincingly won all of their opening three league games under Arne Slot without conceding a goal, Liverpool looked short of ideas as they sought to come back. A Virgil van Dijk header from a corner that flew over was the closest they came to an equaliser.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo got his tactics spot on, but it was his inspired substitutions that won the day for his side.

“Me and Callum [Hudson-Odoi] spoke about it on the bench, when we come on we would make a difference,” Swedish winger Elanga said.

“We come here to Liverpool and not many teams can beat them and play the way we did — we got rewarded with it at the end.”

Liverpool keeper Alisson was not impressed by Forest’s defensive game plan, but acknowledged that it turned out to be very effective.

“It was poor defensively from us. We couldn’t create much, we had a lack of quality today, we needed more energy. It is three points we have lost today unnecessarily,” he said.