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PREMIER LEAGUE: Hudson-Odoi on target for Nottingham as Liverpool suffer shock loss at Anfield

Arne Slot’s honeymoon period as Liverpool head coach came to an end as Nottingham Forest pulled off a shock 1-0 victory at Anfield.

Nottingham Forest's Callum Hudson-Odoi celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Saturday September 14, 2024.

Arne Slot’s honeymoon period as Liverpool head coach came to an end as Nottingham Forest pulled off a shock 1-0 victory at Anfield.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the winning goal in the second half when he picked up the ball on the left wing, cut inside past Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate, and struck a low curling shot to perfection inside Alisson Becker’s left-hand post.

Liverpool’s best chance was probably their first of the game. Forest captain Ryan Yates’ attempt to shepherd out the ball saw Luis Diaz nip past to cut inside and shoot against a post, with the ball ricocheting across the face of goal.

Dominik Szoboszlai headed wide and Diogo Jota volleyed straight at Matz Sels from sumptuous crosses from Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister respectively, but those brief moments of quality were fleeting.

Virgil van Dijk’s weak effort dropped wide before Sels saved from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inswinging corner and Mac Allister’s header.

The Forest goalkeeper did not handle Diaz’s ballooned header as well, however, and his fumble saw the ball dropping down on the line before he snatched it up.

Even the usually reliable radar of Alexander-Arnold, man of the match in both England games during the international break, was off as he was unable to knit together anything coherent from an attacking point of view.

Liverpool also failed to isolate Salah against Alex Moreno, booked just before half-time, often enough, although the Egypt international did fashion the first chance after the break with a shot which was tipped around the near post.

Slot had seen enough and made a triple change on the hour as he tweaked his set-up.

Off came Diaz and Mac Allister after their long trips back from South America, plus Jota, and on came Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Bradley, with Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield.

Anthony Elanga wasted a good chance when he blazed over having found space on Liverpool’s left, while Alexander-Arnold’s shot was deflected wide after Nunez robbed Elanga.

Things were becoming a little too frenzied, something Slot has tried to reduce in the team’s approach since taking over from the more chaotic style of predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

However, it was to get more frenetic when Hudson-Odoi scored.

Another change saw defender Konate replaced by midfielder Curtis Jones, with Ryan Gravenberch dropping into the back four, while chances came and went for Szoboszlai and Van Dijk.

Fans started heading for the exits as five minutes of added time was announced, something not seen since the very early days of Klopp’s reign.

The belief may not have gone, but Slot’s side must rediscover the resilience to produce the late magic reminiscent of the previous era to sustain the early progress made.

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