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Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth loss in seven Premier League games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a solution out of the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the largest win at Anfield in their history as Liverpool fell to an eighth loss in 11 matches in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and the home side argued the defender's opener should have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City prior to the national team pause. But the manager admitted the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.

“No one wishes to hear me now talking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 at home to Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I ought to look at myself initially and my team, but it does show you how a goal can alter the flow of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to net a strike. Afterwards we barely created any chances.

“Of course there is a way out, particularly with the talented footballers we have. No matter if you win or lose when you look back you are always considering: ‘Where can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.

“I want to stress I am responsible for the present defeats. You are answerable when you are victorious but also liable when you are losing. I can not come up with enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”

Liverpool’s performance unravelled as Slot made several attacking substitutions when chasing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I took the French defender off and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, currently it’s probably unwise.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in two successive at Anfield league games by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The last time they suffered back-to-back top-flight matches by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.

The manager commented: “It was extremely poor. Playing on home soil, conceding 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result. Surprising if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the initial 30 minutes perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they entered in our box they scored.

“It wasn’t at City, but in all other game we have been the dominant side and were able to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost constantly that we fail to convert our opportunities and the ones we concede find the net.”