Anfield's team in disarray as the visitors conquer home ground once more with three-nil triumph

Nottingham Forest's victory here in the prior year was a blip in an otherwise commanding English top division home record for the Merseyside club. This recurrence now, a much more emphatic triumph under the Forest boss, was a clear sign of the challenges engulfing the struggling title holders.

The visitors' outstanding showing

The team was brilliant as they secured their biggest triumph at Anfield. Scores from Murillo, outstanding at each end of the playing surface, Nicolò Savona and the exceptional the playmaker led to a merited win for a Forest side that also kept a initial shutout in 20 Premier League fixtures.

Anfield's struggles

The Reds, by contrast, were a chaotic as they endured an 8th defeat in 11 games to fall into the lower half of the table. Weak at dead-ball situations, once more, unproductive in the final third, as before, with Alexander Isak replaced after sixty-eight anonymous moments, and poor in defense, they failed in every area to yield to a consecutive 3-0 reverse.

Opening dominance without reward

For the opening half-hour the home side held the advantage, the occasional break from Morgan Gibbs-White aside, but the failure to convert chances into the actual outcome of finishes cost them dearly. the midfielder was offered an initial opportunity from Cody Gakpo's surge into the penalty area only for Anderson to deliver a superb line save with his forehead. He had a another effort blocked moments later while impressive skill from Salah produced another near-post opportunity for Kerkez. An opposition player just managed to disturb the back into blazing over.

Set-play frailty hits repeatedly

Liverpool's coach has often bemoaned the team's susceptibility to fast breaks and set pieces in the current campaign. This provided further evidence for concern when the visitors took the lead through a mix of the two.

Sean Dyche was shocked after the forward failed to pass to Nicolás Domínguez in room on the fast attack and presented the defender a chance to intervene. The resulting set-piece sparked celebratory reactions in the visitors' bench, however, when Elliot Anderson's delivery deflected off the captain to the goalscorer and the defender hammered an unstoppable strike from inside the box into the back of the net. It brought echoes of Van Dijk's ruled out goal against City in the away team's opener with the forward located in an offside in front of Anfield's fit-again shot-stopper the goalie.

The review system rulings and debate

Predictably, the Liverpool captain was quick to highlight the comparisons to the official, Andrew Madley. In contrast to Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, the forward made no apparent movement in front of Alisson and the strike stood. Officials stated: "The initial ruling of valid strike was checked and verified by the assistant – with it deemed that he was outside of the view of the goalkeeper and avoided an move that influenced an player."

The home side were reprieved by the referees and VAR a short time later when Igor Jesus believed he had added to Forest's advantage.

The defender, who experienced a poor match, made an weak attempt to deal with an the midfielder's cross and deflected the object against the attacker, who brought down before slotting the net of the goalkeeper's net. Madley, in communication with his assistant, chalked off the strike for a illegal use of hand that several replays found it hard to confirm or refute. League officials announced: "The decision of invalid score was assessed and supported by the video assistant – with it judged that the player unintentionally touched the ball before scoring."

Follow-up score widens cushion

That was the end of the respite. Within seconds of the resumption the midfielder failed to stop a ball towards Neco Williams inside the Liverpool penalty area. The full-back turned from his marker and laid Forest's second on a silver platter for teammate full back Nicolò Savona, who found the goalkeeper's upper corner with a simple side-foot finish.

Strategic changes do not work

Arne Slot went for broke, bringing off the defender with Hugo Ekitiké after just before the hour and using the Les Bleus forward with Alexander Isak. The tactical shift persisted all of a short period before Alexander Isak was withdrawn following another ineffective display. Chiesa and the youngster were additionally added to the Liverpool attack but carelessness in play and solid visitors' defense held the hosts at arm's length.

Late strike wraps up the outcome

The visitors demonstrated the precision and penetration that Liverpool were lacking in the opposition half to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively