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Nottingham Forest's success on Merseyside the previous campaign seemed an anomaly in an otherwise dominant top-flight home record for the hosts. Their repeat this season, a much more emphatic victory under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the problems plaguing the declining champions.

Nottingham Forest's superb performance

Forest were brilliant as they secured their largest win at Anfield. Goals from Murillo, superb at either side of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Morgan Gibbs-White spurred a well-earned win for a team that also maintained a first clean sheet in 20 Premier League matches.

Liverpool's woes

Liverpool, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they suffered an 8th loss in 11 matches to drop into the second tier of the standings. Poor at set pieces, repeatedly, unproductive in offense, again, with Alexander Isak withdrawn after sixty-eight uninfluential period, and vulnerable at the back, they struggled in all departments to fall to a consecutive three-nil defeat.

Opening pressure without reward

For half an hour Liverpool maintained the advantage, the occasional attack from the Forest attacker aside, but the failure to turn promise into the hard currency of scores cost them dearly. Alexis Mac Allister was presented with an initial chance from Cody Gakpo's drive into the box only for Anderson to deliver a brilliant line save with his head. He had a second shot deflected shortly after while impressive skill from Salah produced another short-distance chance for Milos Kerkez. An opposition player just did enough to pressure the back into blazing over.

Set-play vulnerability hits again

Liverpool's coach has often criticized the team's weakness to transitions and set pieces in the current campaign. He was given further evidence for complaint when Forest took the lead through a combination of the two.

The Forest manager was surprised after the forward was unable to release Domínguez in room on the break and allowed Konaté opportunity to intervene. The ensuing set-piece sparked celebratory moments in the visitors' bench, though, when Anderson's delivery touched Van Dijk to Murillo and the centre-half fired an unstoppable finish from six yards into the back of the net. It brought similarities of the defender's ruled out finish against the champions in the away team's initial score with Ndoye standing in an illegal position in front of the home side's fit-again keeper Alisson.

The review system rulings and debate

Unsurprisingly, the Van Dijk was prompt to point out the similarities to the referee, Andrew Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the Manchester, Dan Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the goalkeeper and the strike remained. The Premier League stated: "The initial ruling of valid strike was examined and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that he was away from the line of vision of Alisson and made no an action that impacted an opponent."

The home side were reprieved by the officiating team and the system two minutes following when Jesus thought he had doubled the visitors' lead.

Konaté, who suffered a poor day, made an weak try to clear an Ibrahim Sangaré's cross and deflected the sphere against the attacker, who controlled before finding the bottom corner of the goalkeeper's goal. Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the attempt for a handball that several footage were unable to verify or disprove. The Premier League announced: "The decision of no goal was checked and upheld by the system – with it considered that Igor Jesus inadvertently touched the sphere before finishing."

Follow-up strike increases cushion

That was the end of the respite. Almost immediately of the kick-off Alexis Mac Allister was unable to intercept a delivery towards Neco Williams inside the Liverpool box. The former Liverpool defender evaded from his marker and presented the visitors' second on a platter for partner full back Nicolò Savona, who located the goalkeeper's roof of the net with a composed side-foot finish.

Strategic substitutions prove ineffective

The manager went for broke, bringing off Ibrahima Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after just before the hour and using the France forward next to the Swede. The tactical shift lasted for only a short period before Alexander Isak was substituted following a further quiet performance. Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were also thrown into the Anfield's frontline but carelessness in play and solid Forest defending prevented the Reds at bay.

Late blow wraps up the victory

The visitors showed the skill and incisiveness that the hosts were without in the final third to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively