🔗 Share this article

Forest's victory here the previous campaign seemed an anomaly in an usually dominant Premier League home record for the hosts. Their repeat this season, a decisively stronger success under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the challenges engulfing the declining former winners.

The visitors' outstanding display

Forest were exemplary as they secured their largest win at Liverpool's home. Scores from the defender, excellent at both ends of the playing surface, Nicolò Savona and the exceptional Gibbs-White led to a well-earned win for a team that also kept a first clean sheet in 20 division fixtures.

Liverpool's difficulties

The hosts, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they experienced an eighth setback in 11 fixtures to slide into the lower half of the standings. Poor at dead-ball situations, again, unproductive in offense, again, with the striker withdrawn after 68 uninfluential period, and poor in defense, they faltered in all departments to yield to a back-to-back heavy reverse.

Opening pressure missing result

For 30 minutes the Reds held the initiative, the infrequent counter from Morgan Gibbs-White aside, but the failure to capitalize on opportunities into the actual outcome of goals cost them dearly. Mac Allister was offered an early opportunity from Cody Gakpo's drive into the box only for Elliot Anderson to deliver a excellent goalline clearance with his forehead. Mac Allister had a second shot deflected shortly after while skilful control from the winger created another short-distance opening for the defender. The visiting defender just did enough to put off the full-back into sending high.

Dead-ball weakness strikes once more

Arne Slot has often criticized the team's vulnerability to transitions and set pieces in the current campaign. There was fresh cause for frustration when the visitors opened the scoring through a blend of the both aspects.

The Forest manager was aghast after Igor Jesus did not release Nicolás Domínguez in an open area on the fast attack and allowed Ibrahima Konaté the opening to intervene. The resulting set-piece caused jubilant moments in the away team's area, nevertheless, when Anderson's delivery deflected off Van Dijk to Murillo and the central defender drilled an irresistible shot from close range into the back of the net. There were reminders of the captain's chalked-off goal against City in the visitors' initial score with Dan Ndoye positioned in an offside position in front of Liverpool's returning goalkeeper the Brazilian.

Video Assistant Referee decisions and controversy

Unsurprisingly, the Van Dijk was prompt to point out the parallels to the match official, Andrew Madley. In contrast to Andy Robertson at the City's ground, Dan Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the keeper and the score stood. The league confirmed: "The on-field decision of goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that Ndoye was away from the view of the goalkeeper and avoided an interference that influenced an player."

Liverpool were saved by the match officials and VAR 120 seconds later when Jesus thought he had doubled Nottingham Forest's cushion.

The defender, who endured a terrible afternoon, made an unconvincing try to deal with an the midfielder's cross and deflected the ball against the attacker, who brought down before finding the bottom corner of the goalkeeper's net. Andrew Madley, in contact with his linesman, ruled out the attempt for a handling that multiple footage struggled to confirm or refute. The Premier League announced: "The referee's call of invalid score was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that the player unintentionally controlled the sphere before netting."

Another goal increases cushion

So much for the reprieve. Within seconds of the restart Alexis Mac Allister failed to stop a delivery towards Neco Williams inside the home 18-yard box. Williams turned from his defender and laid their next goal on a plate for teammate wing-back the scorer, who picked out Alisson's top corner with a composed accurate strike.

Tactical adjustments do not work

The manager made changes, replacing the defender with Hugo Ekitiké after the 55th minute and partnering the Les Bleus striker alongside Isak. This change continued all of 13 minutes before Isak was substituted following one more anonymous performance. Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were also thrown into the Liverpool attack but inefficiency in ball control and solid opposition backline kept the Reds at bay.

Concluding goal confirms the outcome

The visitors demonstrated the precision and penetration that the hosts were lacking in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively