Arne Slot didn’t pull any punches as he labelled Liverpool ’s shock defeat by Nottingham Forest a “big setback”. His captain Virgil van Dijk branded it “unacceptable”. After all the positivity generated by three straight Premier League wins at the start of a new era at Anfield, this was a painful reality check.

Liverpool’s effort was scrappy as passes went astray and touches were often missed. The players looked like they hadn’t seen each other for two weeks. The international break took away 10 players but manager Arne Slot said that was no excuse. “It’s always difficult, but I don’t think it had anything to do with it,” Slot said.