Arne Slot is no longer trying to save Premier League champions Liverpool from a stumble.

Saturday's Anfield horror show at the hands of Nottingham Forest was a headlong fall into the abyss.

What most generously believed was a blip, based on the compelling evidence of Slot's first title-winning campaign last season, is now a full-blown crisis for Liverpool and their beleaguered head coach.

Chairman Tom Werner was at Anfield to witness a 3-0 loss to impressive Forest thanks to a performance as poor as anything seen at home in recent years.

"How bad that is difficult to measure but it was very bad," said Slot. "Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result."

No-one can suggest Slot's job is in immediate danger after his deeds following his succession to Jurgen Klopp, but such is this game's brutality that he is now under serious pressure to turn the tide that threatens to engulf Anfield.

Liverpool's manager, whoever it is, is always under pressure to win games. He is under even greater pressure and scrutiny when he loses six Premier League games out of seven. This is as many as in their previous 58.

They have lost two of their past three home league games, as many as in the previous 53.

The cloak of invincibility that Liverpool carried last season has been replaced by a soft - very soft - underbelly. And it has been there since the start of the season.

It takes some doing to spend ?450m to make a Liverpool side that strolled to the title last season worse but, based on what has been produced so far, Slot and the club's recruitment team have achieved that feat.

Former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown told BBC Sport: "Whether it's a crisis, I don't know.

"It's certainly a major problem for the manager to go six defeats from seven. Unthinkable.

"The wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot.

"It was Jurgen Klopp's team and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent ?450m on players and they are going backwards."

Slot told BBC Sport's Match of the Day: "Another big disappointment.

"We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0 and we weren't able to play the way we did in the first half hour.

"If things go well or things go bad, it's my responsibility.

"We weren't able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things but it didn't work out."

Exhibit A for the scale of the current decline is Alexander Isak, pursued and finally signed from Newcastle United amid much acrimony for a British record fee of ?125m.

He arrived ring rusty from his strike on Tyneside, then picked up a groin injury that put him on the sidelines. To say he has had a false start at Anfield is a masterpiece of understatement.

Slot gave Isak his chance here. If he did not exactly do nothing, he did next to it.

He was peripheral, lightweight, lost.

It was almost an act of mercy when Slot replaced Isak with Federico Chiesa after 68 minutes. Not a single eyebrow would have been raised inside Anfield had he been put out of his misery at half-time.

Isak was not alone. Liverpool subsided as the game went on.

Mohamed Salah has been pinpointed as one factor in Liverpool's slide, but he can be absolved here. He was the one Liverpool player who can hold his head high.

For Slot, the problems and the unflattering statistics are starting to pile up like rubble around his feet.

The Dutch coach who showed such a sure touch last season is suddenly floundering. He has not had any answers since Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time goal inflicted on Liverpool their first loss of the season at Crystal Palace in September.

Liverpool hinted at a revival with wins against Aston Villa, then a Champions League victory at home to Real Madrid, but what has become normal service resumed when they were worked over in a 3-0 loss at Manchester City, then went down without barely a fight against Sean Dyche's revitalised Forest.

Even Slot's changes carried the whiff of desperation - he replaced defender Ibrahima Konate with striker Hugo Ekitike after 55 minutes. It had all the hallmarks of a gamble, a shot in the dark.

Most eyes turned towards the hapless Isak, who was instead given another 13 minutes to confirm this was not his day.

The decline in standards and basic levels of performance since last season has had seasoned Anfield observers rubbing their eyes in disbelief at what they are witnessing.

Florian Wirtz, bought for ?116m from Bayer Levekusen this summer, was out injured here - which might have been a blessing in disguise for him - but has also failed to produce.

The German has yet to score or provide an assist in the Premier League.

As for the stats, it is look away now time for Slot and Liverpool:

This is only the second time they have lost as many as six of their opening 12 Premier League games. They lost six in 2014-15.

They are only the fourth side to start a season as Premier League champions but lose at least six of their first 12 games, after Blackburn Rovers in 1995-96 (6), Chelsea in 2015-16 (7), and Leicester City in 2016-17 (6).

This is the first time Liverpool have lost back-to-back league games by three or more goals since April 1965 under Bill Shankly.

All the frailties were on show, from conceding the opening goal to Murillo from a corner.

Liverpool have conceded nine league goals from set-pieces - excluding penalties - this season, as many as they did in the whole of last season.

Their anticipated second-half revival lasted precisely the 47 seconds it took former Liverpool defender Neco Williams to play in Nicola Savona in front of the Kop, who were stunned into silence.

The simplicity with which the goal was created exemplified Forest's excellence and Liverpool's lack of heart and intensity.

Heart and intensity.

These were a given for Liverpool under Klopp and last season under Slot. They have barely been seen this season, late wins covering up cracks that have been evident since August.

Morgan Gibbs-White applied the coup de grace 12 minutes from the end, by which time many Liverpool supporters had given up and headed for the exits.

The fans never turned on their team, but the subdued mood of resignation was just as damning. At no point did Anfield possess the air of belief that has carried Liverpool to so many comebacks.

This is where Liverpool and Slot find themselves - in deep, deep, trouble.

Retaining the title? Forget it.

No Premier League champions have successfully defended their title with 18 points or fewer at this stage of the campaign. They are already eight points behind leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand.

Liverpool is 11th in the table. This is now a fight to make sure they finish in the Champions League places.

In their current reduced circumstances, this will take a major turnaround. If he fails to find a solution, Slot will come under even more severe pressure. (BBC)

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