Daijiworld Media Network – London
London, Nov 23: Liverpool’s troubled season hit yet another low as they suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday, deepening the crisis surrounding Arne Slot’s side. Chelsea, meanwhile, boosted their Premier League title hopes with a composed 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Liverpool went behind in the 33rd minute when Murillo smashed home after the Reds failed to clear Elliot Anderson’s corner. Manager Arne Slot was left livid as Forest’s Dan Ndoye appeared to obstruct goalkeeper Alisson Becker, similar to the incident that saw Virgil van Dijk’s goal disallowed in their defeat to Manchester City before the international break.
Forest added a second just after halftime through Nicolo Savona, who finished from a Neco Williams cut-back. The misery continued in the 78th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White scored from a rebound after Omari Hutchinson’s effort was saved. This marked Liverpool’s second straight home loss to Forest and their eighth defeat in 11 matches across all competitions. It is also the first time since 1965 that Liverpool have suffered consecutive league losses by a three-goal margin.
Slot admitted that the team is still emotionally affected by the tragic death of Diogo Jota in a road accident in Spain in July. The Reds, lacking intensity and creativity, now sit 11th in the table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal despite spending over £400 million in the summer. Alexander Isak, brought from Newcastle for a British-record fee, was substituted in the second half and remains goalless in the league.
At Turf Moor, Chelsea continued their strong run under Enzo Maresca as Pedro Neto’s diving header put them ahead before the break, followed by a late goal from Enzo Fernandez. The win lifted Chelsea to second place, three points behind Arsenal. It also marked Maresca’s 50th Premier League match in charge, with the Blues having won eight of their last ten matches.
The victory serves as an ideal build-up for Chelsea’s upcoming week, which includes a Champions League clash with Barcelona and a league meeting with Arsenal.
New Wolves manager Rob Edwards endured a disappointing debut as his team fell 2-0 to Crystal Palace at Molineux. Goals from Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino left Wolves at the bottom of the table, nine points from safety.
Brighton came from behind to defeat Brentford 2-1 at the Amex Stadium. Raul Jimenez’s 84th-minute strike earned Fulham a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Craven Cottage. West Ham squandered a two-goal lead and were held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth.