The Reds facing disarray as the visitors storm home ground once more with a convincing victory

Nottingham Forest's success on Merseyside the previous campaign was a blip in an typically commanding English top division performances at Anfield for the Merseyside club. This recurrence now, a decisively stronger success under the Forest boss, was indicative of the problems plaguing the faltering champions.

Forest's outstanding showing

The team was impressive as they recorded their largest triumph at Liverpool's home. Goals from the defender, excellent at either side of the playing surface, the full-back and the exceptional the playmaker inspired a deserved win for a squad that also kept a first clean sheet in twenty division matches.

Anfield's struggles

The hosts, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they experienced an 8th setback in eleven fixtures to fall into the lower half of the standings. Ineffective at set-plays, repeatedly, ineffectual in the final third, as before, with Alexander Isak substituted after 68 quiet minutes, and defensively weak, they faltered in every area to fall to a back-to-back heavy defeat.

Opening pressure missing result

For 30 minutes the home side enjoyed the initiative, the sporadic counter from Morgan Gibbs-White excepted, but the inability to convert chances into the tangible reward of goals hurt them significantly. Mac Allister was given an early opportunity from the forward's run into the area only for the Forest player to produce a excellent desperate block with his forehead. The Liverpool midfielder had a follow-up attempt blocked soon after while impressive footwork from the winger produced another near-post chance for Kerkez. The visiting defender just managed to put off the full-back into blazing over.

Set-play frailty strikes repeatedly

Liverpool's coach has often bemoaned the team's susceptibility to fast breaks and set pieces this season. This provided new reason for complaint when Forest scored first through a mix of the both aspects.

Dyche was shocked after Jesus did not release Domínguez in room on the counter and allowed Ibrahima Konaté the opening to intervene. The ensuing corner kick caused celebratory reactions in the away team's area, though, when Anderson's cross touched the captain to the defender and the defender fired an unstoppable strike from inside the box into the opposite side. There were echoes of the defender's disallowed finish against Manchester City in the away team's first goal with the forward standing in an illegal position in front of Anfield's recovered goalkeeper the goalie.

Video Assistant Referee decisions and controversy

As expected, the Van Dijk was swift to highlight the parallels to the referee, the ref. But unlike the full-back at the Etihad Stadium, Dan Ndoye made no clear movement in front of Alisson and the goal stood. The league confirmed: "The initial ruling of valid strike was reviewed and confirmed by the assistant – with it considered that he was outside of the sightline of Alisson and made no an interference that influenced an player."

The home side were saved by the referees and video review a short time later when the striker was convinced he had increased Nottingham Forest's lead.

The defender, who experienced a terrible afternoon, made an feeble try to clear an Ibrahim Sangaré's delivery and deflected the object against the attacker, who brought down before slotting the lower corner of the keeper's goal. Madley, in contact with his assistant referee, ruled out the effort for a handling that several reviews were unable to prove or disprove. The authority said: "The referee's call of no goal was checked and upheld by the video assistant – with it deemed that Jesus accidentally handled the ball before scoring."

Another score extends lead

Any hope from the reprieve. Almost immediately of the restart Mac Allister failed to stop a ball towards Williams inside the home 18-yard box. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his marker and laid their next goal on a platter for partner defender Savona, who picked out Alisson's roof of the net with a simple placed shot.

Tactical substitutions prove ineffective

Liverpool's coach took risks, bringing off Ibrahima Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and partnering the France attacker alongside Alexander Isak. That experiment lasted just 13 minutes before Isak was substituted following one more anonymous showing. Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were additionally added to the Anfield's frontline but sloppiness in possession and solid opposition backline held the Reds at bay.

Concluding goal confirms the outcome

Nottingham Forest showed the finesse and cutting edge that Liverpool were lacking in the final third to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively