Liverpool facing disarray as the visitors conquer their fortress once more with three-nil triumph

Nottingham Forest's victory on Merseyside last season was a blip in an typically dominant top-flight home campaign for Liverpool. Their repeat now, a much more emphatic victory under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the challenges engulfing the struggling former winners.

The visitors' outstanding performance

Nottingham Forest proved exemplary as they recorded their most significant win at the famous ground. Strikes from the defender, excellent at each end of the field, Savona and the magnificent Gibbs-White led to a well-earned win for a Forest side that also kept a maid clean sheet in 20 division games.

Anfield's woes

Liverpool, by contrast, were a mess as they endured an eighth defeat in 11 matches to slide into the lower half of the league. Ineffective at dead-ball situations, once more, unproductive in attack, again, with the striker replaced after 68 quiet moments, and defensively weak, they struggled in all departments to succumb to a second successive 3-0 loss.

Opening control missing reward

For 30 minutes the Reds held the advantage, the infrequent attack from Gibbs-White aside, but the inability to convert chances into the tangible reward of finishes hurt them significantly. Mac Allister was given an early opportunity from Cody Gakpo's run into the box only for Anderson to deliver a brilliant desperate block with his skull. He had a second shot stopped shortly after while dazzling skill from Mohamed Salah created another close-range opening for Kerkez. An opposition player just succeeded to pressure the back into firing over.

Set-play weakness hits repeatedly

Arne Slot has repeatedly bemoaned the team's susceptibility to counterattacks and set pieces now. This provided further evidence for concern when Forest took the lead through a combination of the each weakness.

Dyche was aghast after the forward did not find the midfielder in an open area on the counter and presented the defender opportunity to intervene. The following corner sparked jubilant scenes in the Forest dugout, though, when Anderson's delivery deflected off Virgil van Dijk to the defender and the centre-half drilled an unstoppable shot from six yards into the back of the net. It brought echoes of the defender's disallowed strike against Manchester City in the away team's first goal with Ndoye located in an offside in front of Anfield's returning goalkeeper the Brazilian.

VAR decisions and controversy

As expected, the Van Dijk was prompt to mention the comparisons to the referee, Madley. However, unlike the full-back at the Etihad Stadium, the forward made no obvious movement in front of the goalkeeper and the strike remained. Officials stated: "The referee's call of goal was reviewed and verified by the assistant – with it judged that the player was not in the sightline of the goalkeeper and made no an move that affected an player."

Liverpool were saved by the referees and the system 120 seconds later when Jesus believed he had doubled Forest's cushion.

The defender, who experienced a dreadful day, made an unconvincing try to remove an the midfielder's cross and directed the object against the attacker, who controlled before slotting the net of the goalkeeper's goal. Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the attempt for a handling that various footage found it hard to confirm or disprove. The Premier League said: "The referee's call of disallowed strike was checked and confirmed by the system – with it considered that Igor Jesus accidentally controlled the ball before scoring."

Another goal increases lead

Any hope from the reprieve. Moments of the kick-off Alexis Mac Allister did not intercept a delivery towards the defender inside the home box. The former Liverpool defender evaded from his marker and set up Forest's second on a platter for fellow full back Nicolò Savona, who picked out the keeper's upper corner with a simple placed shot.

Tactical adjustments do not work

The manager took risks, substituting Ibrahima Konaté with Ekitiké after just before the hour and pairing the France striker next to Isak. That experiment persisted just a short period before Isak was withdrawn following one more anonymous showing. Chiesa and Ngumoha were additionally added to the Liverpool attack but carelessness in ball control and solid Forest defending prevented the Reds at arm's length.

Concluding goal wraps up the result

The visitors demonstrated the skill and penetration that the hosts were missing in the final third to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively