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Forest's success on Merseyside the previous campaign seemed an anomaly in an otherwise dominant top-flight home record for the Merseyside club. Their repeat this season, a far more convincing success under their manager, was a clear sign of the challenges engulfing the declining title holders.

Forest's superb performance

The team was brilliant as they secured their most significant win at Anfield. Goals from the Brazilian, excellent at each end of the field, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Gibbs-White inspired a deserved win for a team that also maintained a initial shutout in 20 division fixtures.

Liverpool's struggles

Liverpool, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they experienced an eighth setback in 11 matches to fall into the lower half of the standings. Poor at dead-ball situations, repeatedly, unproductive in the final third, as before, with Alexander Isak withdrawn after 68 uninfluential period, and poor in defense, they failed in all departments to succumb to a consecutive 3-0 loss.

Early pressure without reward

For the opening half-hour the home side enjoyed the upper hand, the infrequent break from the Forest attacker excepted, but the failure to convert chances into the tangible reward of finishes cost them dearly. Mac Allister was presented with an early-on chance from Cody Gakpo's run into the box only for Elliot Anderson to produce a superb line save with his forehead. Mac Allister had a second shot deflected shortly after while skilful footwork from the winger set up another close-range opportunity for Milos Kerkez. An opposition player just succeeded to put off the back into sending high.

Set-piece frailty strikes once more

The manager has frequently bemoaned his side's vulnerability to fast breaks and set-plays now. He was given new reason for complaint when the visitors scored first through a combination of the both aspects.

Sean Dyche was aghast after Jesus failed to find Domínguez in space on the counter and presented Konaté the opening to intervene. The resulting corner caused jubilant moments in the Forest dugout, however, when Elliot Anderson's delivery glanced off Virgil van Dijk to the defender and the central defender fired an unbeatable finish from six yards into the opposite side. This evoked similarities of Van Dijk's disallowed finish against City in the Forest's opener with Dan Ndoye positioned in an offside position in front of Liverpool's returning shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR rulings and debate

Predictably, the Van Dijk was swift to point out the similarities to the official, Madley. In contrast to Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Ndoye made no apparent gesture in front of the keeper and the strike stood. The Premier League stated: "The initial ruling of a score was examined and upheld by VAR – with it considered that Ndoye was not in the sightline of the goalkeeper and did not make an action that influenced an player."

The Reds were reprieved by the referees and the system 120 seconds later when Igor Jesus was convinced he had increased Nottingham Forest's advantage.

Konaté, who endured a terrible afternoon, made an unconvincing attempt to deal with an the midfielder's delivery and directed the sphere against the attacker, who brought down before placing the net of the keeper's net. Madley, in communication with his assistant referee, disallowed the effort for a handling that various replays struggled to prove or refute. League officials said: "The ruling of invalid score was checked and upheld by the video assistant – with it considered that Igor Jesus unintentionally controlled the ball before scoring."

Second score increases cushion

Any hope from the reprieve. Moments of the kick-off Alexis Mac Allister did not intercept a ball towards Williams inside the Anfield penalty area. The full-back spun away from his opponent and set up the visitors' second on a silver platter for partner full back Nicolò Savona, who found the keeper's roof of the net with a simple accurate strike.

Tactical changes prove ineffective

Liverpool's coach went for broke, replacing Ibrahima Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after just before the hour and pairing the Les Bleus forward with the Swede. That experiment persisted just 13 minutes before Isak was withdrawn following another quiet showing. Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were also thrown into the Anfield's frontline but carelessness in play and sturdy opposition backline prevented the hosts at distance.

Concluding goal wraps up the victory

Nottingham Forest showed the precision and incisiveness that the home team were without in the attacking phase to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively