Even though Liverpool began with promise, their inability to make the most of some early opportunities came back to haunt them as Murillo blasted a goal home for the visiting team following a corner kick.

Subsequently, Forest believed they had extended their advantage just moments later, but Igor Jesus, who seemed to have scored, was instead called for an unintentional handball.

However, ultimately it had little impact, as the home team collapsed further in the second period, giving up a goal within a minute after play resumed and then permitting a third from a rebounded shot approximately 10 minutes before the final whistle.

In evaluating his team's showing, Van Dijk commented that Liverpool simply "allows far too many simple goals."

He stated regarding Forest's initial goal, emphasizing the Reds' persistent vulnerability in defending set-piece plays: "For the initial thirty minutes, we performed well, generating promising opportunitie—[then]] they scored, inevitably from a set piece once more" “One might question whether [Forest player Dan Ndoye, who was offside] was obstructing [Liverpool's goalkeeper] Alisson, but the goal was allowe; thus,s we trailed 1-0."

Describing it as having been an "arduous day," the Dutch defender further mentioned, "In general, our performance was subpar with respect to battles, challenges, and the overall fight—overly hasty. The existing situation is quite challenging.

Van Dijk acknowledged that "there was a sense of unease" within the Liverpool team following the concession of the first goal, but not before that. "

He went on to say, "We attempted to accelerate the game, which is understandable when facing adversity. We won't resolve this issue merely by discussing it. It will necessitate substantial effort.

"It's a problem. Each member of the team must also accept accountability. Football is a collaborative endeavour; we all participate jointly, and we require everyone to perform at their peak. Now, we must process this and accept the setback. We need to exert greater effort. We must persevere."

During the last campaign, in which they eventually won the title, Liverpool's only defeat at their home stadium was against Forest, who managed a 1-0 victory.

On this occasion, the Reds suffered their biggest-ever loss to the Tricky Trees at one of the most intimidating stadiums in football, and this was also Liverpool's most crushing defeat at home since Manchester City defeated them 4-1 back in 2021.

Despite having lost to the same club for the second time in just as many seasons, Van Dijk seemed extremely unhappy about how the Reds had been defeated this time.

He stated, "Everyone is feeling the disappointment, as they should, as it is completely unacceptable in my opinion to lose to Nottingham Forest at home—and that is putting it mildly.”

“The goals that we let in were far too easy, and it is up to everyone to take a good, hard look at themselves. I have been a part of this team for a considerable amount of time, and we have definitely had some challenging times before. We will get back on track, but this cannot be accomplished in the blink of an eye. I am not one to give up, and we will continue to push forward.

“I am in no position to pass judgment on the supporters’ decision to leave before the match ends. I am aware that the fans have stood by us through both good times and bad. When we finally overcome this difficult period, they will continue to support us because we will eventually come out on the other side. "

Liverpool have suffered six defeats in their last seven league matches, which is the same number of defeats that they had in the 58 matches before that. The two out of three defeats that they have experienced at Anfield are also the same number of defeats that they experienced in the 53 matches before that.

This terrible performance by the reigning champions has inevitably resulted in a lot of pressure being placed on Liverpool's manager, Slot, who conceded after the game that Forest "performed exceptionally well today" but insisted that "losing a game 3-0 at home is not the standard that we hold ourselves to.”

He said, "It is difficult to truly assess how terrible [the outcome is], but it was definitely very bad, of course. Playing in front of our home fans and suffering a 3-0 defeat, irrespective of the club you are competing against, is without a doubt a very, very, very disappointing outcome.

“We should all feel very disheartened, but we are also mindful of the fact that the Champions League is rapidly approaching in a few days.”

Slot continued by saying, "We conceded a goal from a set piece, which had a major impact on the game's momentum and its overall course. After that, we really struggled to find the gaps and opportunities that we had been successful in finding during the first thirty minutes of the game.

“I made an effort to implement a few adjustments and changes, but they did not produce the desired outcomes. This is a tremendous letdown. When things are not going according to plan, it is ultimately my responsibility. "