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Forest's win on Merseyside last season appeared a one-off in an otherwise commanding English top division home campaign for the hosts. This recurrence now, a much more emphatic triumph under their manager, was indicative of the challenges plaguing the faltering champions.

The visitors' superb showing

Forest were impressive as they recorded their largest win at the famous ground. Goals from the Brazilian, excellent at each end of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent the playmaker spurred a merited win for a Forest side that also kept a first clean sheet in 20 division matches.

Anfield's struggles

The hosts, on the other hand, were a mess as they endured an 8th loss in 11 games to slide into the bottom half of the table. Weak at set pieces, again, ineffectual in the final third, again, with Alexander Isak withdrawn after 68 quiet moments, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in every area to fall to a consecutive three-nil loss.

Initial control missing payoff

For half an hour the home side held the initiative, the occasional break from the Forest attacker apart, but the inability to capitalize on opportunities into the actual outcome of finishes cost them dearly. Mac Allister was given an early opening from Cody Gakpo's drive into the area only for Anderson to produce a superb line save with his head. Mac Allister had a follow-up attempt blocked moments later while impressive footwork from the winger produced another short-distance chance for Milos Kerkez. A Forest defender just managed to put off the defender into blazing over.

Set-piece frailty hits once more

Arne Slot has often lamented his side's weakness to fast breaks and set pieces this season. There was new reason for complaint when Forest opened the scoring through a mix of the each weakness.

The Forest manager was aghast after Jesus did not find Nicolás Domínguez in room on the counter and allowed the defender the opening to intercept. The resulting corner kick triggered ecstatic scenes in the away team's area, though, when the midfielder's delivery glanced off Virgil van Dijk to the goalscorer and the defender hammered an unbeatable shot from inside the box into the far corner. There were similarities of Van Dijk's chalked-off finish against Manchester City in the visitors' initial score with the forward located in an illegal position in front of Anfield's recovered shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR calls and controversy

As expected, the the skipper was swift to mention the similarities to the official, Andrew Madley. However, unlike the full-back at the City's ground, Dan Ndoye made no obvious gesture in front of the keeper and the strike remained. The Premier League stated: "The initial ruling of a score was examined and upheld by VAR – with it judged that Ndoye was outside of the line of vision of the goalkeeper and made no an move that affected an player."

The Reds were let off by the match officials and VAR two minutes after when Jesus thought he had doubled Nottingham Forest's advantage.

The defender, who experienced a dreadful day, made an unconvincing try to clear an the midfielder's ball and directed the ball against the attacker, who handled before placing the bottom corner of Alisson's goal. Madley, in contact with his assistant, ruled out the effort for a handball that various replays were unable to confirm or refute. League officials said: "The ruling of no goal was reviewed and upheld by VAR – with it deemed that Igor Jesus inadvertently handled the object before finishing."

Second score increases advantage

That was the end of the let-off. Moments of the restart Alexis Mac Allister did not cut out a delivery towards Williams inside the Liverpool box. The full-back turned from his defender and presented their next goal on a silver platter for partner wing-back Nicolò Savona, who picked out the goalkeeper's top corner with a simple placed shot.

Strategic substitutions do not work

Arne Slot made changes, bringing off Konaté with Ekitiké after the 55th minute and pairing the French striker alongside the Swede. That experiment persisted for only 13 minutes before Alexander Isak was substituted following a further ineffective showing. the winger and Rio Ngumoha were additionally introduced to the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in possession and resolute opposition backline prevented the home side at distance.

Concluding strike seals the result

Forest demonstrated the skill and penetration that the home team were lacking in the attacking phase to put the contest {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively