A comprehensive tactical blueprint from Sean Dyche, combined with a total defensive collapse from the hosts, saw Nottingham Forest secure a historic 3-0 victory at Anfield on Saturday, November 22, 2025. The result plunges defending champions Liverpool into a full-blown crisis, with this defeat marking their sixth loss in their last seven Premier League games. Dyche's Game Plan: The 'Ugly Side' of Football Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche implemented a classic, highly effective game plan: absorb pressure, frustrate the opponent, and exploit set pieces and counter-attacks. Forest embraced the "ugly side" of the game, as Dyche put it, focusing on defensive diligence and organisation over possession. Defensive Fortitude: Forest defended deep and in numbers, denying Liverpool space in the final third. They allowed Liverpool to dominate possession (75% to 25%), but ensured that most of the Reds' attacks were channelled into non-threatening areas. The defensive pairing of Murillo and Nikola Milenković was exceptional, with Murillo earning 'Player of the Match' honours. Clinical Counters: When the opportunity arose, Forest broke with pace and precision. The second and third goals were perfect examples of this approach, catching Liverpool's disorganised defense off-guard after quick transitions. Liverpool's Systemic Failings For Liverpool, the defeat exposed deep-seated issues that have plagued their title defense this season. Set-Piece Vulnerability: The first goal, scored by Murillo from a corner, highlighted a recurring problem. Liverpool has now conceded nine league goals from set pieces this season—as many as they did in the entirety of the last campaign. Tactical analysis showed poor communication in the box, with players like Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai failing to track their assigned men, leaving Murillo free. Attacking Inefficiency: Despite creating a higher expected goals (xG) value, Liverpool's forwards were largely ineffective. British record signing Alexander Isak had a particularly rough outing, losing all seven of his duels before being substituted after 55 minutes. Early chances, including a good save from Alexis Mac Allister's shot, went begging, and the team's inability to convert pressure into goals shifted momentum. Tactical Mismatch: Manager Arne Slot's decision to play midfielders (Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones) as makeshift full-backs due to injuries was exploited by Forest, particularly on the second goal when former Red Neco Williams found ample space on the left to assist Nicolo Savona.
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Key Moments and Goals 33' (0-1) Murillo: A corner from Elliot Anderson was flicked on, and Murillo was unmarked to fire home from close range. The goal stood after a controversial VAR check for an offside Dan Ndoye, who was deemed not to be in goalkeeper Alisson Becker's line of sight. 46' (0-2) Savona: Just 39 seconds into the second half, Neco Williams drove past a half-hearted challenge and cut the ball back for Savona to finish calmly. 82' (0-3) Gibbs-White: Morgan Gibbs-White sealed the win, tapping in a rebound after Omari Hutchinson had broken past Andy Robertson. Post-Match Reaction and What's Next The result sees Forest climb out of the relegation zone, while Liverpool sinks to 11th in the table. Manager Arne Slot took full responsibility for the "very bad" results, stating, "If you lose 3-0 against Forest then I should first of all look at myself and my team". He remains optimistic that a fix is "not far away," though pundits and fans are openly questioning his future. Captain Virgil van Dijk described the atmosphere as "very bad" and stressed that players must "look in the mirror" and take responsibility. Liverpool will need a rapid response as they face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday, followed by a Premier League trip to West Ham United on the weekend.
Nottingham Forest
