MANCHESTER, England — Familiar faces came back to end Liverpool’s mini-revival in a shock 1-0 loss at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland put last week’s blank at Anfield behind him to fire Manchester City within a point of league leader Arsenal with a 3-1 win over Brighton.
Liverpool’s win against City last weekend had looked like putting it back on track after such an unconvincing start to the season.
Jurgen Klopp’s team backed that up with a victory against West Ham in midweek, but the loss at Forest raises fresh doubts over Liverpool’s ability to mount a credible title challenge.
Taiwo Awoniyi, who spent six years at Liverpool without ever playing for the first team, struck the second-half winner to relieve the pressure on Forest manager Steve Cooper, who was formerly on the coaching staff at Anfield.
The win moved Forest off the bottom of the table and left Klopp bemoaning the latest setback.
“(It feels) as low as possible,” the Liverpool manager said. “Massive, massive blow because I have no idea how we can lose this game to be honest. Not that we played exceptionally well, not that I expect that, but it would have been nice.”
Liverpool was without the injured Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara, who was unwell.
Defeat ends a three-game winning run for Liverpool, which included the hugely encouraging victory against City.
Defending champion City brushed off that defeat with Haaland back on the score sheet.
The Norway striker’s failure to find the back of the net against Liverpool was the first time he had gone without a goal since the second game of the season.
Haaland made up for that against Brighton, scoring twice to take his overall total since joining City to 22 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions. He has scored 17 goals in the Premier League so far this season.
He looked set to register his fourth hat trick this season, but couldn’t add a third goal, with Kevin De Bruyne sealing the victory with an impressive strike after Leandro Trossard pulled one back.
Despite his goal, City manager Pep Guardiola was critical of De Bruyne’s form.
“He is not playing at his top level, not yet,” Guardiola said. “He made a fantastic goal, but he is not playing at his best. He knows, I don’t have to tell him. His dynamic is still not perfect, I spoke with him.”
Not that Guardiola wasn’t pleased with the goal.
“The goal is outstanding,” he said. “Thanks to him we didn’t suffer in the last 15-20 minutes.”
CALVERT-LEWIN HURTS PALACE AGAIN
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for the fifth time against Crystal Palace in a 3-0 win for Everton.
Victory ended a three-game losing streak for the team managed by Frank Lampard and moves it four points clear of the relegation zone.
Anthony Gordon and Dwight McNeil also scored.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
