The Reds in disarray as the visitors storm Anfield once more with a convincing win

Nottingham Forest's win here the previous campaign was a blip in an otherwise strong English top division home record for Liverpool. This recurrence this season, a far more convincing victory under their manager, was symptomatic of the challenges afflicting the declining former winners.

Nottingham Forest's exemplary performance

Nottingham Forest proved brilliant as they secured their largest triumph at the famous ground. Strikes from the Brazilian, outstanding at either side of the playing surface, Nicolò Savona and the superb the playmaker led to a deserved success for a squad that also maintained a first clean sheet in 20 top-flight fixtures.

The home side's difficulties

The hosts, in comparison, were a disorganized as they suffered an eighth loss in 11 games to fall into the lower half of the league. Weak at dead-ball situations, once more, impotent in attack, consistently, with Alexander Isak replaced after sixty-eight uninfluential moments, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in every area to fall to a second successive three-nil loss.

Initial control without result

For 30 minutes Liverpool maintained the advantage, the occasional attack from Morgan Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to capitalize on opportunities into the hard currency of goals cost them dearly. Alexis Mac Allister was presented with an early-on opening from Cody Gakpo's surge into the box only for the Forest player to deliver a superb goalline clearance with his head. Mac Allister had a second shot stopped soon after while impressive control from the winger produced another close-range opening for the defender. A Forest defender just did enough to disturb the back into blazing over.

Dead-ball frailty hits again

The manager has often criticized Liverpool's weakness to counterattacks and dead balls this season. He was given fresh cause for concern when the visitors scored first through a mix of the each weakness.

Sean Dyche was surprised after Jesus failed to pass to Nicolás Domínguez in an open area on the counter and gave Konaté a chance to intervene. The resulting set-piece triggered jubilant reactions in the Forest dugout, however, when Anderson's ball touched Van Dijk to the defender and the central defender drilled an unbeatable finish from six yards into the opposite side. This evoked echoes of the defender's chalked-off finish against City in the Forest's opener with the forward located in an illegal position in front of Liverpool's fit-again keeper Alisson.

Video Assistant Referee rulings and controversy

Predictably, the the skipper was quick to highlight the comparisons to the official, the ref. However, unlike Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Ndoye made no apparent gesture in front of the keeper and the score was given. The league clarified: "The referee's call of a score was reviewed and confirmed by the video system – with it considered that Ndoye was not in the view of the goalkeeper and avoided an interference that influenced an defender."

Liverpool were saved by the referees and VAR two minutes following when Igor Jesus was convinced he had increased Forest's cushion.

Konaté, who experienced a dreadful match, made an weak attempt to remove an the midfielder's ball and deflected the ball against the Forest striker, who brought down before finding the net of Alisson's posts. Andrew Madley, in contact with his assistant, ruled out the attempt for a handball that various reviews struggled to prove or refute. The Premier League stated: "The decision of no goal was assessed and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that the player accidentally touched the object before netting."

Second goal widens advantage

That was the end of the reprieve. Almost immediately of the resumption Alexis Mac Allister did not intercept a ball towards Neco Williams inside the Liverpool penalty area. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his marker and set up Forest's second on a silver platter for partner defender the scorer, who located the keeper's top corner with a composed accurate strike.

Tactical substitutions fail

Liverpool's coach took risks, substituting Konaté with the forward after the 55th minute and pairing the Les Bleus forward alongside the Swede. The tactical shift lasted just less than a quarter-hour before the striker was replaced following another ineffective showing. Chiesa and the youngster were also introduced to the hosts' offense but sloppiness in ball control and resolute Forest defending prevented the hosts at distance.

Late blow seals the result

The visitors displayed the finesse and penetration that Liverpool were without in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively