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Forest's win at Anfield the previous campaign appeared a one-off in an otherwise commanding English top division home record for Liverpool. This recurrence in the current campaign, a decisively stronger success under Sean Dyche, was symptomatic of the challenges afflicting the faltering champions.

Forest's outstanding showing

Forest were impressive as they recorded their most significant win at Anfield. Scores from the Brazilian, outstanding at either side of the playing surface, the full-back and the exceptional Gibbs-White inspired a merited success for a team that also kept a maid clean sheet in twenty top-flight matches.

The home side's struggles

The Reds, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they suffered an eighth loss in eleven fixtures to drop into the bottom half of the table. Ineffective at set-plays, again, impotent in offense, as before, with Alexander Isak withdrawn after sixty-eight uninfluential moments, and poor in defense, they failed in every area to fall to a back-to-back heavy loss.

Early pressure missing payoff

For the opening half-hour the Reds maintained the advantage, the sporadic counter from Gibbs-White aside, but the shortcoming to convert chances into the hard currency of goals cost them dearly. the midfielder was offered an initial chance from Cody Gakpo's run into the penalty area only for the Forest player to produce a excellent line save with his head. He had a another effort deflected soon after while dazzling skill from Salah set up another near-post opportunity for Milos Kerkez. A Forest defender just managed to disturb the defender into sending high.

Dead-ball frailty strikes again

Arne Slot has repeatedly bemoaned the team's vulnerability to fast breaks and set-plays now. There was fresh cause for complaint when Nottingham Forest took the lead through a combination of the both aspects.

Dyche was aghast after Igor Jesus did not pass to Nicolás Domínguez in space on the break and allowed the defender the opening to clear. The resulting set-piece sparked jubilant moments in the visitors' bench, though, when Anderson's ball deflected off Van Dijk to Murillo and the centre-half drilled an unstoppable shot from inside the box into the far corner. This evoked reminders of the captain's ruled out strike against Manchester City in the visitors' opener with the forward standing in an offside position in front of Anfield's returning keeper Alisson.

VAR calls and debate

As expected, the the skipper was swift to highlight the similarities to the official, the ref. However, unlike the full-back at the Manchester, the forward made no apparent action in front of the keeper and the score stood. The league stated: "The on-field decision of a score was checked and upheld by VAR – with it judged that Ndoye was outside of the line of vision of Alisson and did not make an action that affected an player."

The Reds were reprieved by the match officials and the system a short time after when Igor Jesus believed he had increased the visitors' lead.

Konaté, who endured a terrible match, made an feeble effort to deal with an Ibrahim Sangaré's delivery and directed the sphere against the attacker, who brought down before slotting the net of Alisson's posts. Andrew Madley, in discussion with his assistant, ruled out the attempt for a illegal use of hand that several reviews found it hard to prove or disprove. The Premier League said: "The ruling of no goal was reviewed and supported by the video assistant – with it considered that Jesus unintentionally touched the sphere before finishing."

Another goal increases cushion

That was the end of the respite. Moments of the kick-off the midfielder was unable to cut out a ball towards Williams inside the Anfield box. The full-back turned from his defender and laid Forest's second on a plate for partner defender Nicolò Savona, who found the keeper's top corner with a calm accurate strike.

Strategic adjustments do not work

The manager took risks, replacing Konaté with the forward after the 55th minute and pairing the Les Bleus forward next to the Swede. The tactical shift continued for only 13 minutes before Isak was substituted following another quiet performance. Federico Chiesa and Ngumoha were additionally introduced to the hosts' offense but carelessness in play and solid visitors' defense prevented the hosts at arm's length.

Late strike confirms the outcome

Forest demonstrated the precision and incisiveness that the hosts were missing in the opposition half to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively