Harvey Elliott was a rare positive as Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday.
Liverpool dominated possession from the get-go but struggled to break the resilience of Nottingham Forest. And the hosts somehow managed the better openings despite spending most of the game behind the ball. Nottingham Forest came closest to scoring in the first half, while Liverpool saw Virgil van Dijk inexplicably head the ball across the goal.
The theme continued after the interval as Liverpool hogged the ball without troubling Dean Henderson. And the game turned on its head ten minutes into the second half, as Nottingham Forest broke the deadlock. As fate would have it, former Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi found the back of the net.
Awoniyi’s initial effort from Steve Cook’s cross smashed the upright, but he made no error in bundling home the rebound. Liverpool finally forced Henderson into a meaningful stop, but the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper kept out Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool continued to push for an equaliser after that, but Dean Henderson was colossal in the Nottingham Forest goal. In the end, the Reds suffered another setback in a stop-start campaign, failing to leapfrog Manchester United ahead of the Red Devils’ game against Chelsea. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Defeat. pic.twitter.com/9ihPiJsyet
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 22, 2022
Alisson Becker: 6/10
Alisson could not have done anything to keep out Taiwo Awoniyi’s effort after the former Liverpool striker scored from a rebound. But the Brazilian goalkeeper was instrumental in keeping the Reds in the game until the dying embers. Alas, that was not enough to get his team anything from the match.
James Milner: 7/10
Milner was easily the best Liverpool starting defender against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The veteran utility man won all his seven duels while making several crunching tackles. The Englishman also created a brilliant chance for Virgil van Dijk in the first half, only for the Dutchman to head his effort wide. A big block before going off kept the Reds in the game.
Joe Gomez: 4/10
Gomez was sensational against Manchester City last weekend. But his form has nosedived since then. The Englishman was sub-par against West Ham United. And he failed to make an impression on Saturday. He lost the ball carelessly several times while enduring a few nervy moments in the defensive phases. And Gomez let Awoniyi drift past him to score the winner.
Virgil van Dijk: 5/10
Virgil van Dijk was solid in the first half. But he inexplicably missed a glorious opportunity to head in a goal from Milner’s cross in the first half. Another chance late in the game saw him fail to convert a free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold. But the worst moment was when he casually tried to clear Steve Cook’s cross before Awoniyi scored.
Andrew Robertson: 6/10
Robertson returned to the starting lineup, replacing Kostas Tsimikas. But the Scottish full-back struggled to trouble the Nottingham Forest defence, with most of his crosses failing to find the target. Robertson was hardly busy in the defensive phases, and he should have done better to create the openings for Liverpool.
Harvey Elliott: 7/10
No-one has created more chances (3) or completed more take-ons (2) than Harvey Elliott so far today 💪#NOTLIV pic.twitter.com/MYcyOS2iGL
— LiveScore (@livescore) October 22, 2022
Elliott was far and away, the brightest spark for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The teenage prodigy constantly looked to make things happen and showed brilliant chemistry with Fabio Carvalho. The Englishman created a few chances that his teammates should have converted. And Dean Henderson made a fabulous save to deny Elliott from close range.
Fabinho: 6/10
Fabinho returned to the side and held the fort well in the middle of the park for the most part. But he did not raise the game’s tempo at will, which hurt Liverpool. And the Brazilian midfielder saw Nottingham Forest drift past him in the crucial moments.
Curtis Jones: 6/10
Curtis Jones made his first start of the season for Liverpool. But he showed little rustiness despite spending most of the season thus far on the sidelines. The young Englishman showed neat touches while constantly looking to push the Reds forward. He was press-resistant on the ball but pressed relentlessly to win possession back. All in all, it was a solid display.
Fabio Carvalho: 6/10
Carvalho was a bundle of energy for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest. And like Elliott on the right flank, he never stopped putting in the effort to help his team. The young prospect did not just aim to influence the proceedings in the final third but also looked to win second balls when the hosts had possession.
Mohamed Salah: 5/10
Mohamed Salah has scored against 26 out of the 28 teams he's faced in the Premier League:
◎ Swansea City
◉ Nottingham ForestNo way past Hendo today. pic.twitter.com/gRCpwosg72
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 22, 2022
Salah reprised a central role against Nottingham Forest, but his struggles still did not end. The Egyptian attacker attempted only six passes all game, showing how anonymous he was at times. Salah did not test Henderson either, meaning this was another game to forget.
Roberto Firmino: 5/10
Firmino was more involved than Salah. But the Brazilian international was wasteful with the ball at his feet, managing a sub-par 74 per cent passing rate. And Firmino was not sharp enough inside the box either, with both his shots going off-target. His blitzing form is nowhere to be seen now.
SUBSTITUTES
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7/10
Alexander-Arnold was lively off the bench and looked the best bet for Liverpool to salvage anything from the game. The English international came close to scoring with a close-range effort and created a brilliant chance for van Dijk late in the match. But it was not to be for him and the Reds.
Jordan Henderson: 6/10
Henderson was precise with the ball at his feet and looked to move Liverpool forward quickly. But the Reds’ captain lacked ideas in the final third and failed to bring much to the table apart from accurate passing.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: N/A
Oxlade-Chamberlain barely managed a touch after replacing Firmino.
