Liverpool stunned by Forest, Haaland on target in City win

Liverpool’s perfect start under Arne Slot came to a stunning end as Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Erling Haaland’s double sent Manchester City three points clear at the top of the Premier League in a 2-1 win over Brentford.

Forest had not won at Anfield in the top flight for 55 years but the home faithful were stunned when Callum Hudson-Odoi fired in the winner 18 minutes from time.

Liverpool had won all three of their opening games under Slot without conceding, including a 3-0 win away at Manchester United two weeks ago.

But the Reds were sloppy and sluggish after the international break and made to pay.

Luis Diaz hit the post and Diogo Jota wasted a big chance to put Liverpool ahead before half-time.

And they were punished when Hudson-Odoi latched onto Anthony Elanga’s pass, cut inside and unleashed an accurate strike low beyond Alisson Becker.

Victory lifts Forest into fourth with eight points from their opening four games.

City took full advantage of Liverpool’s defeat to move clear at the top by stretching their 100 percent record to four games despite a disastrous start.

John Stones was recalled by Pep Guardiola for his first club start of the season but the England international’s poor clearance teed up Yoane Wissa to open the scoring after just 22 seconds at the Etihad.

However, Haaland’s form at the start of the season remains unstoppable, even if the Norwegian just missed out on a record third consecutive hat-trick in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old’s powerful deflected effort brought City level before he showed a combination of strength and skill to shrug off Ethan Pinnock and dink the ball over the onrushing Mark Flekken.

Only the post denied Haaland another hat-trick after half-time but he now has nine goals in four games this season.

Third-placed Brighton remain unbeaten but were unable to break down Ipswich in a 0-0 draw at the Amex.

Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Leicester thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s double. West Ham also struck late through Danny Ings to snatch a 1-1 draw at Fulham.

Arsenal face Tottenham in the north London derby in the pick of Sunday’s action.

Earlier, United had been left to fester on their humbling by Liverpool for two weeks over the international break, but bounced back after a slow start at Southampton.

United gave manager Erik ten Hag some breathing space with a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday thanks to goals from Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

However, United had to ride out an early Southampton storm and the outcome could have been vastly different had Andre Onana not saved Cameron Archer’s penalty at 0-0.

De Ligt’s first United goal and Rashford’s first for six months quickly flipped momentum in the visitors’ favour just before half-time.

Southampton’s woes were compounded when captain Jack Stephens was sent-off 11 minutes from time for a wild challenge on Garnacho, who rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

“Sometimes you have to find a way to win,” said Ten Hag.

“The first minutes we had some problems but after Andre stopped the penalty and the goal by De Ligt I think the game was all ours.”

Saints remain without a point from four games on their return to the Premier League, while United’s second win of the season lifts them up to eighth.

Ten Hag began the campaign already under scrutiny after surviving an internal review of his position in May following an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Back-to-back defeats before the international break to Brighton and Liverpool had ramped up the pressure even more on the Dutchman and the Red Devils had to ride their luck early on at St. Mary’s.

A failure to make the most of some promising build-up play has been the story of Southampton’s their return to the top flight.

Teenager Tyler Dibling caught the eye on his first Premier League start and his trickery lured Diogo Dalot into a rash challenge inside the area.

But Archer’s spot-kick lacked conviction and Onana parried his attempt before easily clutching the striker’s follow-up header at the second attempt.

Just two minutes later, United led as De Ligt put a difficult week with the Dutch national team behind him to open his account.

Agencies