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Forest's success on Merseyside in the prior year seemed an anomaly in an typically commanding Premier League performances at Anfield for Liverpool. Their repeat in the current campaign, a far more convincing victory under Sean Dyche, was a clear sign of the issues afflicting the declining former winners.

The visitors' outstanding performance

The team was impressive as they secured their largest win at the famous ground. Strikes from Murillo, outstanding at both ends of the playing surface, the full-back and the magnificent the playmaker led to a deserved win for a Forest side that also maintained a initial shutout in 20 top-flight games.

The home side's woes

The hosts, on the other hand, were a mess as they endured an eighth loss in eleven matches to fall into the second tier of the table. Poor at dead-ball situations, again, impotent in offense, consistently, with Alexander Isak substituted after 68 uninfluential minutes, and poor in defense, they faltered in all departments to succumb to a second successive three-nil reverse.

Opening dominance without reward

For 30 minutes the Reds maintained the initiative, the infrequent counter from Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to capitalize on opportunities into the hard currency of scores hurt them significantly. Alexis Mac Allister was offered an early chance from Cody Gakpo's drive into the penalty area only for the Forest player to produce a brilliant goalline clearance with his skull. The Liverpool midfielder had a another effort blocked shortly after while skilful footwork from the winger set up another near-post opening for Milos Kerkez. A Forest defender just succeeded to disturb the defender into firing over.

Set-piece frailty hits once more

Arne Slot has frequently bemoaned his side's weakness to counterattacks and set-plays in the current campaign. This provided fresh cause for concern when Forest took the lead through a mix of the each weakness.

Sean Dyche was aghast after the forward failed to pass to Nicolás Domínguez in space on the fast attack and gave Ibrahima Konaté a chance to intervene. The ensuing corner sparked ecstatic moments in the away team's area, nevertheless, when Anderson's delivery deflected off Van Dijk to Murillo and the central defender drilled an unbeatable shot from six yards into the opposite side. This evoked echoes of the defender's ruled out strike against the champions in the visitors' first goal with Ndoye positioned in an offside position in front of Liverpool's recovered shot-stopper the Brazilian.

VAR calls and controversy

Unsurprisingly, the the skipper was quick to mention the comparisons to the match official, Madley. In contrast to Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, the forward made no obvious action in front of the keeper and the score stood. The league clarified: "The initial ruling of valid strike was checked and verified by the assistant – with it deemed that the player was not in the view of the goalkeeper and made no an action that affected an defender."

The Reds were reprieved by the referees and the system a short time after when the striker was convinced he had increased Nottingham Forest's advantage.

Ibrahima Konaté, who endured a terrible day, made an unconvincing effort to remove an Ibrahim Sangaré's ball and directed the sphere against the forward, who handled before placing the bottom corner of Alisson's goal. Andrew Madley, in communication with his linesman, ruled out the effort for a handling that several replays found it hard to verify or refute. The Premier League stated: "The decision of disallowed strike was reviewed and upheld by the system – with it deemed that Jesus unintentionally controlled the ball before finishing."

Follow-up goal extends cushion

That was the end of the let-off. Almost immediately of the kick-off Alexis Mac Allister was unable to intercept a pass towards the defender inside the home penalty area. The former Liverpool defender evaded from his marker and laid their next goal on a plate for teammate wing-back Nicolò Savona, who found Alisson's upper corner with a calm side-foot finish.

Tactical substitutions prove ineffective

The manager made changes, replacing the defender with Hugo Ekitiké after 55 minutes and using the Les Bleus attacker next to Isak. This change persisted all of less than a quarter-hour before Isak was replaced following another quiet performance. Federico Chiesa and the youngster were additionally added to the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in ball control and sturdy visitors' defense kept the hosts at arm's length.

Concluding goal seals the victory

Nottingham Forest displayed the skill and incisiveness that the home team were lacking in the attacking phase to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively