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Forest's victory here last season seemed an anomaly in an typically commanding Premier League home campaign for the Merseyside club. A second successive win now, a far more convincing success under Sean Dyche, was symptomatic of the challenges engulfing the declining champions.

Nottingham Forest's exemplary performance

Forest were exemplary as they recorded their largest triumph at Liverpool's home. Goals from the Brazilian, excellent at either side of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Morgan Gibbs-White inspired a merited success for a team that also maintained a first clean sheet in twenty top-flight fixtures.

Liverpool's struggles

The hosts, by contrast, were a chaotic as they endured an 8th setback in 11 matches to drop into the lower half of the table. Weak at dead-ball situations, once more, ineffectual in attack, as before, with Alexander Isak replaced after sixty-eight anonymous minutes, and defensively weak, they faltered in every area to fall to a consecutive 3-0 defeat.

Initial pressure lacking reward

For 30 minutes Liverpool enjoyed the upper hand, the sporadic attack from Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to capitalize on opportunities into the hard currency of goals proved costly. Mac Allister was offered an initial chance from Cody Gakpo's surge into the area only for Anderson to produce a brilliant desperate block with his head. The Liverpool midfielder had a another effort blocked shortly after while skilful footwork from the winger set up another near-post opportunity for Kerkez. The visiting defender just succeeded to disturb the defender into blazing over.

Set-play vulnerability afflicts repeatedly

Liverpool's coach has repeatedly bemoaned Liverpool's susceptibility to fast breaks and dead balls in the current campaign. This provided new reason for complaint when Forest scored first through a blend of the both aspects.

Sean Dyche was surprised after Jesus failed to pass to Nicolás Domínguez in space on the counter and allowed Ibrahima Konaté a chance to intercept. The resulting corner sparked jubilant scenes in the Forest dugout, however, when Anderson's delivery deflected off the captain to the goalscorer and the central defender fired an irresistible shot from close range into the far corner. This evoked similarities of the captain's chalked-off goal against City in the Forest's first goal with Dan Ndoye standing in an offside in front of the home side's recovered goalkeeper the Brazilian.

Video Assistant Referee decisions and dispute

As expected, the Van Dijk was swift to highlight the parallels to the referee, Madley. However, unlike Andy Robertson at the Manchester, Ndoye made no clear movement in front of the keeper and the goal was given. Officials confirmed: "The initial ruling of a score was examined and verified by the assistant – with it judged that he was not in the sightline of the keeper and made no an interference that influenced an defender."

The home side were let off by the referees and VAR 120 seconds following when the striker thought he had doubled Forest's lead.

The defender, who endured a terrible match, made an feeble effort to clear an Ibrahim Sangaré's ball and directed the object against the forward, who handled before finding the lower corner of the goalkeeper's posts. Madley, in communication with his linesman, ruled out the attempt for a handling that multiple replays were unable to prove or deny. The Premier League stated: "The decision of no goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it considered that Jesus accidentally handled the sphere before netting."

Follow-up goal extends lead

That was the end of the reprieve. Within seconds of the kick-off the midfielder did not cut out a pass towards Williams inside the Anfield penalty area. The full-back evaded from his marker and laid the visitors' second on a plate for fellow defender the scorer, who located the goalkeeper's top corner with a calm accurate strike.

Managerial changes do not work

Arne Slot took risks, replacing Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after the 55th minute and using the French attacker alongside the Swede. The tactical shift continued all of 13 minutes before Alexander Isak was replaced following another ineffective showing. the winger and the youngster were also introduced to the Anfield's frontline but inefficiency in ball control and resolute opposition backline held the home side at arm's length.

Final blow wraps up the victory

Nottingham Forest demonstrated the finesse and penetration that the home team were without in the final third to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively