Key Takeaways:
- Arne Slot withdrew from the Northern Football Writers’ Association awards dinner on Sunday evening after Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest
- Liverpool ended the weekend 11 points behind Arsenal and now occupy 11th place in the Premier League table
- Gary McAllister collected Slot’s manager of the year award on his behalf following the manager’s late withdrawal
Slot’s Absence at Awards Ceremony Following Difficult Night
Liverpool manager Arne Slot opted not to attend the Northern Football Writers’ Association awards dinner in Manchester on Sunday evening, mere hours after his side suffered a bruising 3-0 defeat at home against Nottingham Forest. The Dutchman, who enjoyed Premier League title in his debut season at Anfield, is now under increasing scrutiny as Liverpool’s campaign falters in his second year at the helm.
At the Northern Football Writers Association awards do. Arne Slot has won manager of the season. He was scheduled to be here but is not pic.twitter.com/r48kJ8EzZq
— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) November 23, 2025
Originally scheduled to receive the manager of the year gong at the event, Slot withdrew from the ceremony at 16:00, according to the Daily Mail. With his absence confirmed just before the start of proceedings, club ambassador Gary McAllister was assigned to accept the award on his behalf. McAllister, a former midfielder who featured 87 times for Liverpool between 2000 and 2002, travelled from Elland Road, where he had been watching Leeds take on Aston Villa, to represent the club at the awards dinner.
Pressure Mounts as Liverpool’s Form Collapses
Despite significant investment during the summer transfer window, Liverpool have struggled mightily in recent weeks. They have now suffered defeat in six of their previous seven Premier League fixtures, sliding to 11th in the standings and falling 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal by the end of the weekend. With such a considerable gap and mounting losses, hopes of retaining the title have faded rapidly, and scrutiny is intensifying around Slot’s tenure.
As McAllister collected the accolade, he relayed apologies from Slot, noting that the former Feyenoord boss was “extremely proud” to be honoured with the award.
Match Analysis: Liverpool Overpowered by Nottingham Forest
Liverpool’s woes deepened during their clash with Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The visitors went ahead just over half an hour into the contest as Murillo capitalised on a corner to put Forest in the lead. The setback continued early in the second half, when Nicolo Savona extended Forest’s advantage with a goal from 10 yards out. In the closing stages, Morgan Gibbs-White sealed the comprehensive victory, netting a third for the visitors.
Manager’s Reflections
At full-time, Slot offered his assessment of Liverpool’s display: “A big disappointment. When things go well, things don’t go well, it is always my responsibility.
“What you do see is that after we go 1-0 down, we do struggle – struggle in the sense that we don’t create as many chances. We try to pump them up, to give them the information they need to start the second half well, and immediately after the start we conceded the 2-0.
“That is again a big blow for us and a big boost of confidence for them. The players kept on trying – I cannot blame them on that – but it was very difficult for us to find an opening. And when we found an opening, they blocked every single shot we had.”
