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Forest's win at Anfield in the prior year was a blip in an typically dominant top-flight home record for the Merseyside club. Their repeat in the current campaign, a much more emphatic triumph under their manager, was indicative of the problems afflicting the struggling champions.

Nottingham Forest's outstanding display

Nottingham Forest proved brilliant as they secured their largest win at the famous ground. Strikes from the defender, excellent at either side of the playing surface, the full-back and the superb the playmaker spurred a merited success for a squad that also maintained a initial shutout in twenty top-flight fixtures.

Anfield's woes

The Reds, by contrast, were a disorganized as they suffered an eighth loss in eleven fixtures to fall into the bottom half of the league. Weak at set-plays, repeatedly, impotent in attack, again, with Isak substituted after sixty-eight quiet minutes, and poor in defense, they failed in all departments to fall to a second successive heavy reverse.

Opening control lacking reward

For half an hour Liverpool enjoyed the advantage, the infrequent attack from the Forest attacker excepted, but the shortcoming to convert chances into the actual outcome of finishes proved costly. Mac Allister was given an early-on chance from Gakpo's surge into the box only for Anderson to produce a superb goalline clearance with his forehead. He had a second shot stopped moments later while dazzling footwork from Salah set up another close-range opportunity for Kerkez. The visiting defender just did enough to pressure the full-back into firing over.

Dead-ball weakness afflicts repeatedly

The manager has frequently criticized his side's susceptibility to fast breaks and set pieces this season. There was further evidence for complaint when the visitors opened the scoring through a mix of the two.

Dyche was surprised after the forward did not pass to the midfielder in an open area on the counter and presented Konaté the opening to intercept. The ensuing corner kick triggered celebratory scenes in the away team's area, nevertheless, when Elliot Anderson's cross touched Van Dijk to the goalscorer and the centre-half hammered an unstoppable strike from six yards into the opposite side. There were echoes of the captain's chalked-off goal against City in the Forest's opener with the forward standing in an offside position in front of Liverpool's recovered goalkeeper Alisson.

VAR calls and controversy

As expected, the Liverpool captain was swift to highlight the similarities to the match official, the ref. But unlike Robertson at the City's ground, Ndoye made no clear movement in front of the goalkeeper and the goal remained. The league clarified: "The initial ruling of goal was examined and verified by VAR – with it judged that he was not in the line of vision of the keeper and did not make an interference that impacted an defender."

The home side were saved by the officiating team and the system two minutes following when Igor Jesus was convinced he had added to the visitors' cushion.

Konaté, who endured a terrible afternoon, made an weak attempt to deal with an the midfielder's delivery and deflected the ball against the Forest striker, who brought down before slotting the net of Alisson's posts. Andrew Madley, in communication with his assistant referee, ruled out the effort for a handball that various footage were unable to confirm or deny. The Premier League announced: "The decision of disallowed strike was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it judged that Jesus inadvertently handled the ball before scoring."

Follow-up goal extends advantage

That was the end of the reprieve. Almost immediately of the resumption Mac Allister was unable to stop a ball towards the defender inside the home 18-yard box. The full-back spun away from his marker and laid their next goal on a silver platter for fellow full back Savona, who found the goalkeeper's upper corner with a composed side-foot finish.

Tactical changes fail

Liverpool's coach took risks, bringing off Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and partnering the Les Bleus attacker with Alexander Isak. That experiment persisted for only 13 minutes before Alexander Isak was replaced following another anonymous showing. the winger and Ngumoha were additionally thrown into the Anfield's frontline but carelessness in ball control and sturdy visitors' defense held the Reds at arm's length.

Late goal wraps up the outcome

The visitors showed the skill and penetration that the hosts were without in the opposition half to put the contest {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively