Liverpool Player Ratings vs Nottingham Forest: Dyche’s Discipline Exposes the Reds’ Flaws

Liverpool’s 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest was as grim as it sounds — all possession, no purpose. The numbers might tell you Liverpool dominated, but the eyes told a different story: too slow, too soft, and too predictable. Here’s how the Reds rated after a day to forget at Anfield.

Alisson Becker – 7/10

Made a handful of strong saves, including a fine stop from Igor Jesus to prevent the scoreline from getting even worse. Could do little about any of the goals. One of the few who kept his composure as the defence in front of him disintegrated.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 5/10

Played out of position at right-back again, and it showed. Tried to support attacks and worked hard, but left too much space in behind. Crossing was wasteful, and his timing going forward left Liverpool exposed.

Ibrahima Konaté – 5/10

Struggled to contain Forest’s direct play and picked up a booking for a clumsy foul before being substituted at 55 minutes. Looked off the pace and uncomfortable in possession.

Virgil van Dijk – 6/10

Organised the back line but couldn’t inspire calm. Strong aerially, but the leadership didn’t translate into control. Caught flat-footed for Savona’s strike — a rare moment where the skipper looked short of conviction.

Milos Kerkez – 5/10

Energetic in bursts but naive defensively. Beaten too easily down his flank and failed to provide quality delivery when he did get forward. Hooked for Robertson midway through the second half.

Curtis Jones – 6/10

Worked hard and linked play neatly, but never quite dictated tempo. Won a few useful free-kicks, yet couldn’t break the lines. Subbed late on for Ngumoha after fading in the final 20 minutes.

Ryan Gravenberch – 5/10

Booked for a needless handball and too casual on the ball. Showed flashes of composure but slowed Liverpool’s transitions. Needs to find urgency and aggression quickly.

Alexis Mac Allister – 6/10

Probably Liverpool’s best midfielder on the night, which says more about the team than his performance. Produced one clever header that forced a save and stayed tidy in possession. Still, struggled to inject pace or precision into the final third.

Mohamed Salah – 5/10

A frustrating afternoon. Missed two decent chances and looked short of confidence. Tried to make things happen, but his touch deserted him when it mattered most. Liverpool need their talisman firing — he wasn’t even warm here.

Alexander Isak – 4/10

Anonymous. Barely had a touch of note before being replaced by Chiesa after 68 minutes. Missed one clear chance from a Salah pass and never looked like scoring. His Anfield struggles continue.

Cody Gakpo – 6/10

Showed flashes of intent cutting inside, but lacked conviction in the final third. Involved in a few half-chances, yet his final ball let him down. One of the few who kept trying, if not producing.

Substitutes

Hugo Ekitike (on for Konaté 55') – 6/10
Battled well and showed energy, even winning a few fouls, but came on in damage-control mode. Hard to impact with the game slipping away.

Andy Robertson (on for Kerkez 68') – 6/10
Added some drive down the left but couldn’t turn the tide. Whipped in a few trademark crosses that went unanswered.

Federico Chiesa (on for Isak 68') – 5/10
Looked lively early but picked up a late yellow card. Still not quite up to full sharpness after his recent layoff.

Rio Ngumoha (on for Jones 78') – 6/10
The youngster showed courage on the ball and didn’t shy away from possession. A small silver lining on a dark day.

Manager – Arne Slot – 4/10

Another damaging afternoon. Slot’s insistence on high-possession, low-penetration football is wearing thin. Liverpool had 75% of the ball and nothing to show for it. The crowd’s patience is being tested — and so is the manager’s future.

Verdict:
Sean Dyche out-thought, out-fought, and out-coached Liverpool. Slot’s Reds looked like a team searching for identity while Dyche’s Forest played with one. At Anfield, that’s an unforgivable reversal.