Liverpool Bounces Back: When Do the Reds Return to Action After City Setback?

Liverpool return to competitive action facing Nottingham Forest following the November international pause.

Talk of a comeback was silenced at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, as the reigning Premier League titleholders suffered a crushing 3–0 defeat to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Arne Slot's team had arrived following back-to-back victories, and they had regained their dominant form with a 1–0 triumph over Real Madrid during the week.

Yet, the brilliance of that display was completely absent in Manchester, with the Citizens excelling in a commanding performance. Liverpool appeared sluggish and utterly poor with the ball in the opening period, and they left themselves with an insurmountable task after halftime.

The outstanding City were therefore able to take advantage of Arsenal's first stumble since September, while Liverpool find themselves in eighth position and eight points behind the table-toppers. But Slot, who might have believed he'd discovered the perfect lineup by fielding an unchanged squad on Sunday, has another opportunity to regroup with the final international break of 2025 approaching.

Liverpool's Opening Match After November's International Break

The fixture list remains demanding for Liverpool following the November international break, and they face the sole team to defeat them at Anfield during their second Premier League championship campaign.

Nottingham Forest are currently managed by former Everton manager Sean Dyche, and Ange Postecoglou's replacement secured his inaugural league victory in his new position just before Liverpool fell to City.

The Reds host Forest at Merseyside on Saturday, Nov. 22, and kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT). Despite defeating Leeds United 3–1, Dyche's team sits 19th in the standings with only nine points from 11 matches.

The subsequent Wednesday, Liverpool return to Champions League competition, again at Anfield. PSV Eindhoven narrowly beat a heavily rotated Reds side 3–2 in the concluding matchday of last season's group stage, and Peter Bosz's team have already claimed an impressive 6–2 win over Italian champions Napoli in this campaign's competition.

Nevertheless, they were humbled by Olympiacos in Matchday 4, although Ricardo Pepi salvaged a draw in the closing moments.

Liverpool's Upcoming Five Matches