Alan Shearer has criticized Liverpool for not showing up in the 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest, specifically blaming the defensive pairing of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk. Ten minutes into the second half, ex-Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi scored the only goal to prevent the Reds from building on their current hot streak. When Gomez lost control of the ball in his own half, he gave away an unnecessary free kick. When Steve Cook fired a cross from the ensuing set-piece, Awoniyi poked in the rebound from his own effort after it had struck the post.
Shearer told Premier League Productions that it was hard to understand Liverpool. "Against Man City last week, they played with a lot of enthusiasm. But Forest had a strong work ethic and a desire to win the ball. We predicted Liverpool would dominate, yet they played the entire game as though they only needed to show up.