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Nottingham Forest's victory here last season was a blip in an typically dominant Premier League home campaign for Liverpool. Their repeat in the current campaign, a decisively stronger victory under the Forest boss, was indicative of the challenges afflicting the declining champions.

Forest's exemplary showing

The team was brilliant as they secured their largest victory at the famous ground. Strikes from the Brazilian, excellent at either side of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the superb Gibbs-White spurred a merited success for a squad that also secured a first clean sheet in twenty division games.

Liverpool's struggles

The Reds, on the other hand, were a mess as they endured an eighth loss in eleven fixtures to drop into the lower half of the league. Poor at dead-ball situations, repeatedly, unproductive in offense, again, with Alexander Isak substituted after sixty-eight anonymous period, and defensively weak, they struggled in all departments to yield to a back-to-back 3-0 reverse.

Opening control lacking reward

For the opening half-hour the Reds maintained the upper hand, the occasional break from the Forest attacker apart, but the failure to turn promise into the tangible reward of finishes cost them dearly. Alexis Mac Allister was presented with an early chance from Cody Gakpo's surge into the box only for Anderson to produce a superb goalline clearance with his head. He had a another effort blocked moments later while impressive skill from Mohamed Salah produced another near-post opening for Kerkez. An opposition player just did enough to put off the defender into blazing over.

Dead-ball weakness afflicts again

Liverpool's coach has often bemoaned the team's susceptibility to transitions and set-plays in the current campaign. There was new reason for frustration when Forest scored first through a blend of the both aspects.

Dyche was shocked after Igor Jesus did not pass to Domínguez in room on the fast attack and presented Konaté opportunity to clear. The ensuing corner sparked ecstatic moments in the away team's area, though, when Anderson's cross touched Van Dijk to the defender and the centre-half fired an unstoppable shot from inside the box into the far corner. It brought similarities of Van Dijk's ruled out finish against Manchester City in the away team's first goal with Dan Ndoye standing in an offside position in front of the home side's returning goalkeeper Alisson.

VAR calls and controversy

Predictably, the Liverpool captain was quick to point out the parallels to the match official, the ref. However, unlike Robertson at the Manchester, Ndoye made no obvious action in front of the goalkeeper and the strike remained. Officials confirmed: "The on-field decision of valid strike was examined and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that Ndoye was away from the view of the keeper and made no an action that influenced an opponent."

The Reds were let off by the match officials and VAR a short time later when Igor Jesus thought he had added to Nottingham Forest's lead.

The defender, who suffered a terrible match, made an weak try to remove an Ibrahim Sangaré's delivery and turned the ball against the attacker, who brought down before placing the net of the goalkeeper's net. Madley, in discussion with his linesman, ruled out the attempt for a illegal use of hand that multiple reviews struggled to confirm or deny. The authority announced: "The decision of no goal was reviewed and upheld by the system – with it considered that Igor Jesus inadvertently touched the object before netting."

Another score increases lead

Any hope from the respite. Moments of the resumption the midfielder failed to stop a pass towards the defender inside the Anfield penalty area. The full-back turned from his defender and laid Forest's second on a plate for partner full back Nicolò Savona, who picked out the keeper's top corner with a calm placed shot.

Strategic changes do not work

Liverpool's coach made changes, bringing off Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and partnering the French attacker next to Alexander Isak. The tactical shift persisted for only less than a quarter-hour before Isak was replaced following one more quiet showing. Federico Chiesa and the youngster were further thrown into the Anfield's frontline but sloppiness in ball control and solid Forest defending prevented the home side at bay.

Concluding goal confirms the outcome

Forest displayed the skill and cutting edge that the home team were lacking in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively