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Nottingham Forest's success at Anfield in the prior year seemed an anomaly in an usually strong top-flight home campaign for the Merseyside club. A second successive win this season, a much more emphatic victory under the Forest boss, was indicative of the challenges afflicting the declining champions.

Nottingham Forest's outstanding showing

The team was exemplary as they secured their largest win at the famous ground. Strikes from the Brazilian, superb at either side of the field, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Gibbs-White inspired a deserved success for a team that also maintained a first clean sheet in 20 Premier League matches.

The home side's struggles

The hosts, by contrast, were a mess as they endured an 8th defeat in 11 fixtures to fall into the lower half of the standings. Poor at dead-ball situations, once more, unproductive in attack, again, with Isak replaced after 68 quiet period, and poor in defense, they failed in each phase to yield to a consecutive three-nil loss.

Early control missing result

For 30 minutes the home side maintained the initiative, the infrequent attack from Morgan Gibbs-White excepted, but the failure to turn promise into the hard currency of finishes proved costly. the midfielder was presented with an early opportunity from the forward's surge into the box only for Elliot Anderson to execute a superb desperate block with his skull. He had a second shot deflected shortly after while dazzling control from the winger produced another near-post chance for Kerkez. A Forest defender just managed to pressure the full-back into blazing over.

Set-play weakness strikes again

Arne Slot has often lamented the team's vulnerability to counterattacks and dead balls in the current campaign. There was new reason for complaint when Nottingham Forest took the lead through a blend of the each weakness.

The Forest manager was aghast after Jesus failed to pass to Domínguez in room on the counter and allowed the defender opportunity to clear. The following set-piece triggered jubilant scenes in the visitors' bench, though, when Elliot Anderson's delivery glanced off the captain to the defender and the defender hammered an unstoppable finish from six yards into the opposite side. There were echoes of Van Dijk's chalked-off strike against City in the visitors' opener with the forward located in an offside in front of the home side's recovered keeper the Brazilian.

VAR rulings and controversy

As expected, the Van Dijk was prompt to mention the comparisons to the official, the ref. In contrast to Robertson at the Manchester, Dan Ndoye made no apparent gesture in front of the keeper and the goal stood. Officials confirmed: "The on-field decision of a score was examined and upheld by the assistant – with it judged that the player was away from the sightline of the goalkeeper and made no an action that influenced an defender."

The Reds were reprieved by the referees and video review two minutes after when Jesus thought he had increased Nottingham Forest's cushion.

The defender, who endured a poor day, made an weak try to clear an Sangaré's cross and deflected the object against the forward, who controlled before placing the lower corner of Alisson's net. The referee, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the strike for a handling that various reviews struggled to confirm or disprove. The Premier League announced: "The referee's call of disallowed strike was checked and confirmed by the system – with it considered that Jesus unintentionally touched the object before finishing."

Another goal extends advantage

That was the end of the let-off. Within seconds of the restart Mac Allister did not stop a pass towards Williams inside the Liverpool box. Williams spun away from his marker and presented the visitors' second on a platter for fellow full back Nicolò Savona, who found the goalkeeper's roof of the net with a simple placed shot.

Tactical substitutions fail

Liverpool's coach took risks, substituting the defender with Ekitiké after the 55th minute and using the French forward next to the Swede. This change continued for only a short period before the striker was withdrawn following another anonymous performance. Federico Chiesa and the youngster were further thrown into the Anfield's frontline but sloppiness in possession and solid visitors' defense prevented the Reds at arm's length.

Concluding goal seals the victory

The visitors demonstrated the skill and cutting edge that the home team were lacking in the opposition half to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively