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Nottingham Forest's success on Merseyside last season seemed an anomaly in an otherwise commanding Premier League home campaign for Liverpool. This recurrence this season, a much more emphatic victory under Sean Dyche, was a clear sign of the problems afflicting the declining former winners.

Forest's superb display

Nottingham Forest proved exemplary as they recorded their biggest win at the famous ground. Goals from the defender, excellent at each end of the playing surface, Savona and the exceptional Gibbs-White led to a deserved success for a squad that also secured a initial shutout in twenty Premier League matches.

Anfield's difficulties

Liverpool, in comparison, were a mess as they experienced an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures to drop into the lower half of the standings. Weak at set pieces, repeatedly, ineffectual in offense, consistently, with the striker substituted after sixty-eight uninfluential minutes, and vulnerable at the back, they struggled in every area to fall to a back-to-back 3-0 loss.

Initial pressure missing payoff

For 30 minutes Liverpool enjoyed the upper hand, the sporadic break from the Forest attacker apart, but the inability to turn promise into the hard currency of scores cost them dearly. the midfielder was offered an initial chance from Gakpo's drive into the box only for the Forest player to deliver a brilliant goalline clearance with his skull. The Liverpool midfielder had a follow-up attempt stopped shortly after while dazzling control from Mohamed Salah created another short-distance opportunity for Kerkez. An opposition player just managed to put off the back into sending high.

Dead-ball vulnerability afflicts again

Liverpool's coach has often bemoaned Liverpool's susceptibility to fast breaks and dead balls this season. There was fresh cause for concern when Forest scored first through a combination of the two.

Dyche was shocked after Igor Jesus did not find Domínguez in space on the counter and presented Konaté opportunity to intervene. The resulting set-piece sparked ecstatic moments in the visitors' bench, nevertheless, when Anderson's delivery touched Virgil van Dijk to the goalscorer and the central defender fired an unstoppable strike from six yards into the back of the net. There were similarities of Van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City in the away team's initial score with the forward positioned in an offside position in front of Liverpool's returning shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR calls and controversy

Unsurprisingly, the the skipper was prompt to mention the similarities to the match official, the ref. However, unlike Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, the forward made no clear action in front of Alisson and the score remained. The league confirmed: "The initial ruling of a score was checked and upheld by the video system – with it considered that the player was away from the view of the goalkeeper and did not make an interference that impacted an opponent."

Liverpool were reprieved by the referees and VAR two minutes following when Igor Jesus was convinced he had added to the visitors' lead.

Konaté, who experienced a poor day, made an weak try to remove an Ibrahim Sangaré's delivery and turned the ball against the Forest striker, who brought down before placing the lower corner of Alisson's goal. Madley, in contact with his assistant, disallowed the strike for a illegal use of hand that several footage were unable to prove or refute. The Premier League announced: "The ruling of no goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Jesus unintentionally touched the sphere before scoring."

Follow-up strike widens lead

So much for the let-off. Almost immediately of the restart the midfielder was unable to cut out a ball towards Williams inside the home box. The full-back turned from his marker and presented their next goal on a plate for teammate wing-back the scorer, who found the goalkeeper's upper corner with a calm side-foot finish.

Strategic changes prove ineffective

Liverpool's coach went for broke, replacing Ibrahima Konaté with Ekitiké after 55 minutes and partnering the France attacker next to Alexander Isak. This change continued just 13 minutes before the striker was replaced following another anonymous performance. the winger and Ngumoha were additionally thrown into the hosts' offense but sloppiness in play and sturdy opposition backline kept the hosts at distance.

Late blow seals the result

The visitors displayed the precision and cutting edge that the home team were without in the opposition half to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively