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Nottingham Forest's win at Anfield the previous campaign was a blip in an otherwise strong English top division home campaign for the Merseyside club. Their repeat now, a decisively stronger success under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the challenges plaguing the faltering former winners.

Nottingham Forest's outstanding showing

The team was impressive as they achieved their biggest win at Liverpool's home. Scores from the defender, superb at both ends of the field, Savona and the superb the playmaker led to a deserved success for a team that also maintained a first clean sheet in 20 Premier League games.

The home side's struggles

The Reds, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they endured an eighth setback in eleven fixtures to drop into the second tier of the standings. Poor at set pieces, once more, impotent in attack, again, with Alexander Isak substituted after sixty-eight uninfluential minutes, and defensively weak, they struggled in all departments to fall to a consecutive 3-0 defeat.

Initial pressure lacking reward

For half an hour Liverpool held the upper hand, the sporadic counter from the Forest attacker apart, but the failure to turn promise into the actual outcome of goals cost them dearly. Mac Allister was presented with an early-on opportunity from Gakpo's run into the penalty area only for Elliot Anderson to deliver a excellent desperate block with his skull. Mac Allister had a follow-up attempt deflected soon after while skilful footwork from the winger produced another close-range opening for Kerkez. An opposition player just succeeded to pressure the back into blazing over.

Dead-ball frailty hits repeatedly

The manager has frequently lamented the team's susceptibility to counterattacks and set-plays now. This provided new reason for frustration when Forest opened the scoring through a blend of the two.

Dyche was shocked after Jesus failed to release the midfielder in space on the fast attack and gave Konaté a chance to intervene. The following set-piece triggered celebratory reactions in the away team's area, nevertheless, when Elliot Anderson's ball touched Van Dijk to Murillo and the centre-half drilled an irresistible shot from six yards into the far corner. It brought reminders of Van Dijk's chalked-off strike against City in the visitors' opener with Ndoye standing in an offside in front of the home side's recovered shot-stopper Alisson.

The review system decisions and debate

As expected, the Van Dijk was quick to point out the comparisons to the referee, Andrew Madley. But unlike the full-back at the Manchester, Ndoye made no obvious gesture in front of the keeper and the goal stood. Officials stated: "The referee's call of valid strike was examined and verified by the assistant – with it deemed that Ndoye was outside of the sightline of the keeper and made no an interference that affected an defender."

The Reds were reprieved by the referees and VAR two minutes following when the striker believed he had doubled Nottingham Forest's advantage.

The defender, who experienced a poor day, made an feeble try to deal with an Sangaré's delivery and directed the object against the attacker, who handled before finding the net of Alisson's goal. Andrew Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the effort for a illegal use of hand that multiple reviews found it hard to verify or disprove. League officials said: "The referee's call of invalid score was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it judged that Igor Jesus accidentally handled the object before scoring."

Follow-up strike increases lead

So much for the respite. Within seconds of the resumption Alexis Mac Allister did not cut out a ball towards Williams inside the Anfield penalty area. Williams spun away from his opponent and laid the visitors' second on a silver platter for fellow full back the scorer, who found the keeper's top corner with a simple placed shot.

Tactical adjustments fail

The manager took risks, bringing off Konaté with the forward after just before the hour and using the Les Bleus forward with Isak. This change continued for only a short period before Alexander Isak was withdrawn following a further anonymous performance. the winger and the youngster were further thrown into the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in ball control and solid visitors' defense prevented the home side at distance.

Final blow confirms the result

Forest demonstrated the skill and penetration that Liverpool were lacking in the opposition half to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively