Liverpool’s flawless start to the Premier League under new manager Arne Slot came to a crashing halt with a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland’s impressive form continued, scoring twice in Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Brentford, moving City three points clear at the top of the table.
Earlier in the day, Manchester United secured a much-needed 3-0 win at Southampton, easing the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
Hudson-Odoi Stuns Liverpool
Nottingham Forest broke a 55-year winless streak at Anfield, as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal 18 minutes from time shocked the home crowd. Despite a strong start to the season, where Liverpool had won their first three games under Slot without conceding a goal—including a dominant 3-0 victory against Manchester United—the Reds looked lackluster after the international break.
Manager Arne Slot was visibly frustrated by his team’s performance, saying, “The result frustrates the most, and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game, and we hardly created any chances.”
Liverpool’s sloppy play in the final third proved costly, and Slot admitted his team must improve. “Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.”
The win catapulted Forest into fifth place with eight points from their first four matches. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo praised his team for their resilience, saying, “The players did it so well. We were against the ropes but we stayed in the game and found our moment.”
Haaland Dominates as City March On
Manchester City capitalized on Liverpool’s defeat by maintaining their perfect start to the season. Despite a slow start against Brentford, City came out on top thanks to two goals from Haaland, whose early-season form has been nothing short of sensational. His powerful deflected shot leveled the game, and he later shrugged off Ethan Pinnock to calmly chip the ball past Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Haaland came close to securing a Premier League record third consecutive hat-trick, only for the post to deny him. Nevertheless, his nine goals in the opening four games of the season set a new Premier League record.
City midfielder Jack Grealish praised Haaland’s mental fortitude, particularly in light of the death of a close family friend earlier in the week. “He’s just an absolute machine in front of goal, and I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said Grealish. “It does speak volumes about him as a person and his mental strength.”
Other Premier League Highlights
Aston Villa climbed to third in the table after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Everton. Despite an early two-goal lead for the Toffees—courtesy of Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin—Everton’s defensive woes continued. Ollie Watkins netted twice, with Jhon Duran adding a stunning long-range strike to secure Villa’s comeback victory.
Brighton extended their unbeaten run with a goalless draw at home to Ipswich, while Crystal Palace mounted a spirited comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against Leicester, thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s double. Meanwhile, West Ham’s late equalizer through Danny Ings salvaged a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
