Liverpool came away from the City Ground with three points, but there’s a case to be made for Nottingham Forest being the better team on the day.
The two sides were pretty even for 90 minutes. Arne Slot said as much after the game.
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In the middle of the park, especially, they dominated the Reds. Liverpool-linked Elliott Anderson put in a solid shift, but it was his teammate Ibrahim Sangare who caused the most headaches.
Ibrahim Sangare showed Liverpool what they’re missing in midfield
Arguably Forest’s best player on the day, Sangare’s presence in the midfield was inescapable.
He was getting stuck into challenges and setting an aggressive tone from the whistle, keeping Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch from getting a foothold in the game.
He and Anderson led all players in duels and defensive actions, exposing the lack of physicality in Liverpool’s engine room.
While the Englishman is one of the most sought-after talents in the Premier League, what Sangare showed was the importance of size and physicality — something Liverpool have been short of since the departure of Fabinho.
Liverpool clearly need a number six
It’s not that Slot has a bunch of scrubs to choose from for his midfield.
Last season, the dynamic was perfect. Liverpool were the best in that department, and it just worked.
Now though, there has been a shift in the identity of the side. The attackers are more luxury players than workhorses like Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, and the introduction of Florian Wirtz further offsets last season’s balance.
You get to add one Nottingham Forest player to Liverpool’s squad, who you picking and why?
Anderson, Murillo, Williams, or somebody else?
At 28, Sangare might not be the ideal choice, but it’s that dominant profile of six that Liverpool need to give Slot more security when needed.
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