Steven Gerrard has publicly criticized three Liverpool players for their roles in the defensive breakdown that led to Nottingham Forest’s opening goal during their 2-2 draw at Anfield. The former Liverpool captain highlighted a lack of awareness during the 24th minute, when a long ball from Matz Sels bypassed the home defense. Igor Jesus controlled the ball effectively, and while Alexis Mac Allister attempted to intervene, Morgan Gibbs-White successfully shifted play to Dan Ndoye, who finished the chance to put the visitors ahead.
Gerrard specifically scrutinized the positioning of Cody Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong, noting that they left significant space on the right flank for Ndoye to exploit. During his half-time analysis, Gerrard argued that Mac Allister should have secured the ball to neutralize the threat immediately. He further emphasized that once the initial challenge failed, Gakpo and Frimpong were guilty of “ball-watching” rather than tracking back to recover their defensive positions, ultimately leading to the team being punished.
The match saw Liverpool struggle to find rhythm, leaving them 10th in the Premier League standings following consecutive draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. After a Florian Wirtz effort was disallowed for offside, the Reds eventually leveled the score in the 60th minute when Alexander Isak converted a low cross from Gakpo. The atmosphere at Anfield turned tense in the 70th minute when Neco Williams was brought down by Alisson inside the box, resulting in a penalty that Morgan Gibbs-White converted to restore Forest’s lead.
Despite the setback, Liverpool managed to salvage a point late in the game. Victor Munoz, making his full debut for the club, scored the equalizer just eight minutes before the end of regulation time. The result marks the second consecutive week that Andoni Iraola’s side has had to fight back from a deficit to secure a point, highlighting ongoing defensive concerns for the Merseyside club as they look to climb the table. The report also notes that he’s ball-watching and they get punished” – Steven Gerrard calls out mistake from 3 Liverpool players in draw with Nottingham Forest. The report also notes that the former Liverpool captain pointed to how Mac Allister should have clearly won the ball and completely averted danger in the first place.
