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Nottingham Forest's success here the previous campaign was a blip in an typically strong English top division home campaign for the hosts. This recurrence now, a far more convincing success under their manager, was symptomatic of the challenges plaguing the declining champions.

Forest's superb showing

The team was impressive as they recorded their largest victory at Liverpool's home. Scores from the Brazilian, excellent at each end of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent the playmaker led to a merited victory for a team that also kept a initial shutout in twenty division matches.

Anfield's difficulties

The Reds, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they experienced an 8th loss in eleven games to slide into the second tier of the table. Poor at dead-ball situations, again, impotent in attack, as before, with the striker withdrawn after sixty-eight quiet moments, and poor in defense, they failed in each phase to succumb to a consecutive 3-0 defeat.

Opening control missing reward

For half an hour the home side enjoyed the upper hand, the sporadic counter from the Forest attacker excepted, but the shortcoming to convert chances into the actual outcome of scores cost them dearly. Alexis Mac Allister was offered an initial chance from the forward's drive into the penalty area only for Anderson to execute a superb line save with his forehead. He had a second shot blocked moments later while dazzling control from Salah created another close-range opportunity for the defender. A Forest defender just managed to disturb the back into blazing over.

Set-piece weakness strikes again

Arne Slot has often bemoaned Liverpool's vulnerability to counterattacks and set pieces this season. This provided further evidence for concern when Nottingham Forest scored first through a combination of the both aspects.

Dyche was surprised after Jesus was unable to release Domínguez in room on the fast attack and gave Konaté opportunity to intervene. The ensuing set-piece triggered celebratory moments in the away team's area, though, when Anderson's cross glanced off Virgil van Dijk to the defender and the centre-half hammered an irresistible shot from inside the box into the back of the net. It brought similarities of the captain's ruled out goal against the champions in the away team's first goal with Ndoye positioned in an illegal position in front of Liverpool's recovered shot-stopper the Brazilian.

Video Assistant Referee rulings and controversy

Unsurprisingly, the the skipper was prompt to mention the similarities to the referee, Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the City's ground, the forward made no apparent gesture in front of Alisson and the goal was given. Officials stated: "The initial ruling of a score was examined and verified by the assistant – with it judged that Ndoye was outside of the view of the goalkeeper and did not make an move that influenced an player."

Liverpool were let off by the officiating team and the system a short time following when Igor Jesus thought he had increased the visitors' cushion.

Ibrahima Konaté, who endured a terrible match, made an unconvincing attempt to clear an Sangaré's ball and deflected the sphere against the attacker, who controlled before slotting the bottom corner of the goalkeeper's goal. The referee, in communication with his linesman, chalked off the effort for a handball that several replays struggled to verify or deny. The Premier League stated: "The ruling of disallowed strike was assessed and upheld by the system – with it considered that Igor Jesus inadvertently handled the ball before scoring."

Another goal widens cushion

So much for the respite. Almost immediately of the restart the midfielder did not intercept a delivery towards the defender inside the Anfield 18-yard box. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his defender and laid their next goal on a silver platter for partner wing-back Savona, who located the goalkeeper's upper corner with a composed accurate strike.

Managerial substitutions prove ineffective

Arne Slot took risks, substituting Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after 55 minutes and using the French striker next to Isak. That experiment persisted just a short period before Alexander Isak was substituted following one more quiet performance. Chiesa and Ngumoha were also thrown into the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in ball control and solid Forest defending kept the home side at arm's length.

Final blow seals the result

The visitors showed the precision and cutting edge that the home team were missing in the opposition half to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively