Anfield's team facing turmoil as Nottingham Forest storm Anfield again with 3-0 triumph

The away side's success on Merseyside the previous campaign appeared a one-off in an otherwise strong top-flight home campaign for Liverpool. This recurrence in the current campaign, a decisively stronger success under the Forest boss, was a clear sign of the challenges afflicting the struggling champions.

The visitors' outstanding showing

Nottingham Forest proved exemplary as they secured their biggest win at the famous ground. Goals from the Brazilian, superb at both ends of the field, Nicolò Savona and the superb the playmaker inspired a deserved victory for a team that also secured a first clean sheet in 20 top-flight matches.

The home side's woes

The hosts, in comparison, were a chaotic as they endured an eighth loss in 11 games to slide into the bottom half of the league. Weak at dead-ball situations, again, impotent in attack, as before, with Isak substituted after 68 quiet minutes, and poor in defense, they struggled in each phase to yield to a back-to-back 3-0 loss.

Initial control without payoff

For the opening half-hour the home side enjoyed the initiative, the infrequent break from Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to convert chances into the tangible reward of scores hurt them significantly. the midfielder was given an early chance from the forward's run into the box only for Elliot Anderson to deliver a superb line save with his skull. The Liverpool midfielder had a second shot blocked moments later while skilful skill from Salah set up another close-range opportunity for Kerkez. An opposition player just succeeded to put off the full-back into sending high.

Set-piece vulnerability afflicts repeatedly

Arne Slot has frequently criticized the team's susceptibility to counterattacks and set pieces in the current campaign. He was given further evidence for concern when the visitors scored first through a mix of the both aspects.

The Forest manager was surprised after Igor Jesus failed to find the midfielder in an open area on the break and gave the defender the opening to intercept. The following corner kick sparked jubilant scenes in the visitors' bench, however, when Elliot Anderson's cross glanced off Van Dijk to Murillo and the defender hammered an unbeatable shot from six yards into the back of the net. This evoked reminders of the defender's disallowed strike against City in the Forest's initial score with the forward positioned in an offside position in front of the home side's recovered goalkeeper the Brazilian.

Video Assistant Referee rulings and dispute

As expected, the the skipper was prompt to point out the parallels to the referee, Madley. However, unlike Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Ndoye made no obvious action in front of the goalkeeper and the goal remained. The Premier League confirmed: "The referee's call of a score was examined and upheld by the assistant – with it judged that the player was away from the view of Alisson and made no an interference that influenced an player."

The Reds were saved by the match officials and the system a short time later when Jesus believed he had doubled Forest's advantage.

The defender, who suffered a dreadful match, made an unconvincing effort to clear an Sangaré's ball and directed the ball against the forward, who brought down before finding the lower corner of the goalkeeper's goal. Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the strike for a handling that multiple replays found it hard to verify or disprove. The Premier League announced: "The decision of no goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it judged that Jesus accidentally handled the sphere before scoring."

Follow-up score increases lead

Any hope from the reprieve. Almost immediately of the kick-off the midfielder failed to stop a delivery towards the defender inside the home box. The former Liverpool defender turned from his marker and set up the visitors' second on a platter for fellow defender Nicolò Savona, who found Alisson's upper corner with a simple placed shot.

Strategic adjustments fail

Liverpool's coach took risks, replacing Konaté with the forward after just before the hour and pairing the French attacker alongside Isak. That experiment persisted all of less than a quarter-hour before Isak was withdrawn following another anonymous performance. Chiesa and Ngumoha were also thrown into the Anfield's frontline but inefficiency in ball control and resolute opposition backline prevented the hosts at distance.

Concluding blow wraps up the victory

Forest displayed the skill and cutting edge that the hosts were missing in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively