🔗 Share this article

Nottingham Forest's victory here the previous campaign was a blip in an otherwise dominant Premier League performances at Anfield for Liverpool. This recurrence now, a much more emphatic triumph under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the issues afflicting the struggling champions.

Forest's exemplary showing

Forest were brilliant as they recorded their most significant victory at Anfield. Scores from the Brazilian, outstanding at each end of the pitch, the full-back and the magnificent the playmaker inspired a deserved win for a team that also kept a initial shutout in 20 division games.

Liverpool's difficulties

Liverpool, by contrast, were a chaotic as they experienced an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures to drop into the bottom half of the standings. Poor at set pieces, once more, ineffectual in the final third, as before, with Alexander Isak substituted after sixty-eight anonymous moments, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in every area to yield to a consecutive three-nil defeat.

Opening dominance missing payoff

For 30 minutes Liverpool held the upper hand, the occasional break from the Forest attacker apart, but the inability to convert chances into the hard currency of goals proved costly. Mac Allister was presented with an early opening from Cody Gakpo's run into the area only for the Forest player to produce a excellent line save with his forehead. The Liverpool midfielder had a another effort blocked soon after while dazzling skill from Mohamed Salah produced another near-post opening for Milos Kerkez. A Forest defender just managed to disturb the defender into blazing over.

Set-play vulnerability hits repeatedly

The manager has repeatedly lamented the team's vulnerability to transitions and set pieces in the current campaign. There was fresh cause for complaint when the visitors scored first through a mix of the each weakness.

Dyche was shocked after the forward was unable to release Nicolás Domínguez in space on the break and allowed the defender opportunity to clear. The following corner sparked jubilant scenes in the Forest dugout, however, when the midfielder's delivery deflected off Van Dijk to the goalscorer and the centre-half fired an unbeatable finish from close range into the opposite side. It brought echoes of Van Dijk's ruled out finish against City in the visitors' opener with Ndoye located in an offside position in front of Liverpool's recovered goalkeeper the goalie.

Video Assistant Referee rulings and controversy

As expected, the Van Dijk was quick to mention the comparisons to the referee, Madley. But unlike Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Dan Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the goalkeeper and the strike remained. Officials stated: "The on-field decision of goal was reviewed and confirmed by the video system – with it considered that Ndoye was away from the line of vision of the goalkeeper and avoided an action that influenced an defender."

Liverpool were reprieved by the referees and the system a short time later when Jesus thought he had increased Nottingham Forest's lead.

Ibrahima Konaté, who endured a terrible match, made an weak attempt to remove an Ibrahim Sangaré's cross and deflected the object against the Forest striker, who handled before finding the lower corner of the goalkeeper's posts. Andrew Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the effort for a handling that various replays were unable to confirm or disprove. The Premier League stated: "The referee's call of invalid score was checked and confirmed by the video assistant – with it considered that Igor Jesus accidentally handled the ball before netting."

Second goal widens advantage

Any hope from the let-off. Almost immediately of the restart Mac Allister failed to stop a pass towards Neco Williams inside the Liverpool 18-yard box. Williams turned from his defender and laid their next goal on a plate for teammate defender Savona, who found the goalkeeper's top corner with a simple placed shot.

Tactical changes do not work

Liverpool's coach went for broke, substituting the defender with the forward after 55 minutes and partnering the France forward next to Alexander Isak. That experiment persisted all of 13 minutes before Isak was substituted following another anonymous display. the winger and Ngumoha were also introduced to the hosts' offense but carelessness in possession and resolute opposition backline kept the hosts at distance.

Final blow confirms the victory

The visitors demonstrated the precision and cutting edge that the hosts were without in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively