Nottingham Forest players locker room actions after Liverpool win will doubly hurt Arne Slot

After strutting into the international break, Liverpool stumbled back into Premier League action with a lackluster performance at Anfield that hasn't been seen in quite some time. And a booming Nottingham Forest locker room at fulltime will have only likely further riled Arne Slot.

Rare home defeats have typically been marked by standout goalkeeping performances, dubious refereeing decisions, or sheer bad luck. However, this 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest was different. There's no sob story to lament or referee to blame; Liverpool simply got what they deserved against a disciplined Forest side who gave them no room to maneuver in the final third.

Full-backs Ola Aina and Alex Moreno deserve particular mention for keeping Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz's contributions to a minimum. If Arne Slot wants to make an impact in his first season, strong home form will be crucial. Anfield has generally been a fortress under Jurgen Klopp's reign.

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Callum Hudson-Odoi's brilliant finish to a swift Forest counter-attack, involving fellow substitute Anthony Elanga. This marked the start of a challenging run for the Reds, who are set to play seven matches in 21 days. What concerned Slot the most was how easily a disciplined yet largely unremarkable visiting team managed to snatch all three points at what should be one of the country's most intimidating venues.

Did Slot not consider the extensive travel of his key players in his pre-match preparations? It seemed like a perfect opportunity to start rotating the squad with AC Milan looming in the Champions League, but the head coach stuck with the same starting 11 as in recent weeks.

To be fair, the substitutions of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo for Jota and Diaz did little to improve what had been a lackluster performance. Nuno Espirito Santo could celebrate a well-executed game plan that secured Forest's first win at Anfield since 1969.

Dominik Szoboszlai also struggled visibly, and it was hard not to sympathize with Harvey Elliott, who is recovering from a foot fracture sustained on England Under-21 duty. The midfielder might have added some much-needed composure in the final third. Thiago Alcantara, watching from the directors' box after retiring over the summer, must have felt he could have made a positive contribution.

The Forest dressing room was bouncing with a right old rave-up, the kind you'd more likely associate with the clubs of Ibiza, leaving Everton's Ruud van Nistelrooy reeling after the match. The noise from the jubilant visitors was vibrating through the press rooms and post-match mixed zone.

One member of staff mentioned to the ECHO, "They're having a right old party in there," and who could argue? Forest had just snapped a 55-year drought with their victory. Anfield, once seen as an impenetrable fortress, had turned into party central for Forest that day.