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Nottingham Forest's success here in the prior year was a blip in an otherwise strong top-flight home record for the Merseyside club. This recurrence in the current campaign, a much more emphatic triumph under their manager, was symptomatic of the issues engulfing the declining former winners.

Forest's outstanding performance

Forest were exemplary as they achieved their most significant victory at the famous ground. Strikes from the Brazilian, outstanding at either side of the field, Savona and the magnificent the playmaker spurred a well-earned victory for a Forest side that also secured a maid clean sheet in 20 division games.

Liverpool's struggles

The hosts, in comparison, were a chaotic as they suffered an 8th setback in 11 games to slide into the bottom half of the league. Weak at set pieces, repeatedly, ineffectual in offense, consistently, with Alexander Isak withdrawn after 68 anonymous moments, and defensively weak, they struggled in each phase to fall to a consecutive three-nil defeat.

Opening pressure missing reward

For the opening half-hour the home side enjoyed the advantage, the sporadic break from the Forest attacker aside, but the inability to turn promise into the tangible reward of goals proved costly. Alexis Mac Allister was offered an early opportunity from the forward's drive into the penalty area only for Anderson to produce a brilliant line save with his skull. The Liverpool midfielder had a second shot stopped moments later while dazzling footwork from Salah set up another near-post chance for the defender. An opposition player just did enough to disturb the full-back into firing over.

Dead-ball frailty afflicts repeatedly

Liverpool's coach has often criticized Liverpool's susceptibility to fast breaks and set pieces now. This provided further evidence for frustration when the visitors scored first through a blend of the both aspects.

Dyche was surprised after Jesus failed to find the midfielder in an open area on the counter and gave Konaté the opening to intercept. The ensuing corner sparked ecstatic reactions in the Forest dugout, nevertheless, when the midfielder's cross deflected off Virgil van Dijk to the goalscorer and the defender drilled an unstoppable strike from six yards into the back of the net. It brought echoes of Van Dijk's chalked-off strike against Manchester City in the Forest's opener with the forward positioned in an offside position in front of Liverpool's recovered shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR calls and dispute

Predictably, the the skipper was quick to mention the parallels to the official, Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Ndoye made no obvious action in front of the goalkeeper and the goal remained. Officials confirmed: "The on-field decision of valid strike was examined and verified by the assistant – with it deemed that Ndoye was not in the sightline of the goalkeeper and made no an move that influenced an defender."

The Reds were let off by the match officials and the system 120 seconds after when Jesus was convinced he had increased Nottingham Forest's lead.

Ibrahima Konaté, who experienced a dreadful afternoon, made an weak try to deal with an the midfielder's ball and deflected the ball against the attacker, who controlled before slotting the net of Alisson's goal. Madley, in communication with his assistant, ruled out the attempt for a handball that multiple replays were unable to verify or deny. The authority stated: "The decision of no goal was reviewed and supported by the system – with it considered that the player inadvertently touched the sphere before scoring."

Another goal widens advantage

Any hope from the let-off. Almost immediately of the resumption Mac Allister was unable to cut out a delivery towards the defender inside the home box. Williams turned from his defender and set up Forest's second on a silver platter for teammate full back Savona, who picked out the keeper's top corner with a simple placed shot.

Strategic adjustments fail

Arne Slot made changes, substituting Ibrahima Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and pairing the France forward with Alexander Isak. That experiment persisted all of less than a quarter-hour before Alexander Isak was replaced following a further anonymous performance. Chiesa and the youngster were further introduced to the Anfield's frontline but inefficiency in possession and solid visitors' defense kept the home side at distance.

Late blow confirms the result

Nottingham Forest showed the finesse and penetration that the hosts were without in the final third to put the contest {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively