Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that targeting two Liverpool stars helped Nottingham Forest pull off a stunning 1-0 win at Anfield.
Forest inflicted the first defeat of Arne Slot’s Liverpool career on Saturday, with Anthony Elanga setting up Callum Hudson-Odoi to score the stunning winner in the 72nd minute.
This was Forest’s first win at Anfield since 1969 and maintains their impressive unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Post-match, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker criticised Santo’s ‘long ball’ tactics, but he seemed to be in minority, with much praise going to Forest’s performance and the impact of substitutes Hudson-Odoi and Elanga.
Santo later explained his tactics, specifically referencing how he started with central midfielders as his wingers who were tasked with neutralising the Reds’ full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
‘Realising Liverpool are such a good team, it required a lot of effort from the players, the organisation, tackling and the covers,’ the Forest manager said.
‘The only way to achieve anything here is if you are organised and do everything that you can.
‘When you start the way we started with our wingers, Nico Dominguez and Elliot Anderson, all the effort of them tracking Liverpool’s full-backs – it is a lot of energy.
‘With the defensive task today, [covering] the inside runs of the full-backs, impossible to do all day. We knew we had to make subs.
‘They came in to impact the game, was good. The team needed fresh legs and they played well.
‘We are working hard and it is about building and believing in this idea that you can develop.’
Forest will next be in action next Sunday when they travel to Brighton who have also started the season undefeated.
Liverpool meanwhile will be looking to bounce back when they kick-off their Champions League campaign with a trip to AC Milan on Tuesday night.