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Arne Slot stated he needed to “look at myself” after Liverpool endured a sixth loss in seven Premier League games on their own turf to Forest and insisted he would find a solution out of the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the largest victory at Anfield in their club records as the Merseyside club fell to an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and Liverpool contended the defender's opener should have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal versus Manchester City prior to the international break. But the manager conceded the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wants to hear me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I should examine 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 goal. Later we barely generated anything.

“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality players we have. No matter if you win or lose when you reflect you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we do better, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.

“I wish to emphasise I am responsible for the present losses. You are responsible when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can not provide sufficient reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

The team's performance fell apart as Slot introduced several attacking substitutions when chasing the game. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on the Portuguese forward and he scored immediately to make it 1-1. At that time it was brave, now it’s probably unwise.”

The Anfield side last lost back-to-back home league fixtures against Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they suffered consecutive top-flight matches by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.

Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, losing 3-0 regardless of which opponent 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 maybe the whole season, and the initial occasion they arrived in our box they scored.

“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to create opportunities. Lately it is almost constantly that we fail to convert our opportunities and the attempts we allow go in.”