Alan Shearer has emphatically declared Liverpool's shock defeat to Nottingham Forest was "no fluke" following Arne Slot's abrupt end to a perfect season start.
The Premier League giants fell at the City Ground for their inaugural loss of the campaign, thanks to former Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, whose second-half goal clinched victory for the hosts.
This setback leaves the Reds trailing Manchester City by three points in the table. More concerning, however, is that the loss seemed fully warranted, a sentiment echoed by Shearer.
The ex-Newcastle United ace lauded on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Nottingham Forest were outstanding. The way they defended as a team was magnificent and this was no fluke."
He continued praising Forest's defensive prowess and Hudson-Odoi's decisive contribution: "They stopped Liverpool every time they got into the box. Then they went and hit them on the break, what a finish from Callum Hudson-Odoi. What a start to the season they've had."
Post-match, a disenchanted Slot conceded his Anfield squad must hold themselves to a higher standard. The Dutch head coach critically reflected: "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."
Piling on the criticism, Slot lamented the frequency of turnovers his team suffered saying: "We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball."
Steve Cooper, the Nottingham Forest manager, lamented his side's performance: "Our decisions and execution wasn't good enough. In general we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult. We took a lot of risk and in the end it was a very good goal."
Nuno Espirito Santo, taking charge of the Forest team, couldn't contain his joy following the surprise victory against Liverpool, praising his squad for their resilient display: "The players did it so well, we were against the ropes but we stayed in the game and found our moment. I am really happy for the boys.
"Liverpool are so good, you cannot play them and ignore the quality they have. Defensively we were really good. It was impossible for our wingers to last 90 minutes, they had to track the runners so we needed fresh legs in the second half.
"We played well, we controlled the game in the right moments and harmed them. This is a moment to enjoy for our fans. It doesn't last long but our fans are amazing and this is a big help for the players."
As Liverpool look to regroup in their forthcoming Champions League match with AC Milan, Nottingham Forest sets their sights on a home battle against Brighton next weekend.
"Our decisions and execution wasn't good enough. In general we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult. We took a lot of risk and in the end it was a very good goal.
"The players did it so well, we were against the ropes but we stayed in the game and found our moment. I am really happy for the boys.
"Liverpool are so good, you cannot play them and ignore the quality they have. Defensively we were really good. It was impossible for our wingers to last 90 minutes, they had to track the runners so we needed fresh legs in the second half.
"We played well, we controlled the game in the right moments and harmed them. This is a moment to enjoy for our fans. It doesn't last long but our fans are amazing and this is a big help for the players."
