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The away side's win on Merseyside the previous campaign was a blip in an typically dominant English top division performances at Anfield for the hosts. Their repeat now, a much more emphatic success under Sean Dyche, was a clear sign of the issues afflicting the struggling title holders.

Forest's outstanding performance

Forest were exemplary as they secured their biggest triumph at Anfield. Goals from Murillo, excellent at either side of the field, Nicolò Savona and the superb Gibbs-White spurred a well-earned win for a Forest side that also maintained a maid clean sheet in 20 top-flight matches.

The home side's struggles

The hosts, by contrast, were a chaotic as they suffered an eighth defeat in 11 games to fall into the second tier of the standings. Ineffective at dead-ball situations, once more, impotent in offense, consistently, with the striker replaced after sixty-eight uninfluential minutes, and defensively weak, they faltered in every area to fall to a consecutive heavy reverse.

Opening pressure lacking reward

For half an hour Liverpool maintained the initiative, the sporadic counter from Gibbs-White apart, but the failure to capitalize on opportunities into the tangible reward of scores hurt them significantly. the midfielder was given an early-on opportunity from the forward's surge into the area only for Anderson to deliver a brilliant goalline clearance with his head. He had a another effort blocked moments later while skilful control from Salah set up another close-range chance for Milos Kerkez. The visiting defender just did enough to pressure the full-back into firing over.

Set-piece vulnerability strikes once more

The manager has often bemoaned his side's weakness to transitions and set-plays this season. He was given new reason for concern when the visitors scored first through a blend of the both aspects.

Dyche was shocked after the forward failed to find Nicolás Domínguez in room on the fast attack and allowed Ibrahima Konaté opportunity to intervene. The resulting corner kick caused ecstatic scenes in the away team's area, though, when the midfielder's ball deflected off the captain to the defender and the defender hammered an unstoppable strike from six yards into the far corner. It brought similarities of the defender's disallowed finish against Manchester City in the Forest's opener with the forward positioned in an illegal position in front of Liverpool's returning goalkeeper the goalie.

The review system rulings and controversy

Unsurprisingly, the Liverpool captain was swift to mention the parallels to the match official, Madley. But unlike Robertson at the Manchester, Dan Ndoye made no apparent action in front of Alisson and the strike was given. Officials confirmed: "The initial ruling of a score was reviewed and confirmed by the video system – with it judged that Ndoye was outside of the view of Alisson and made no an move that influenced an opponent."

The Reds were reprieved by the match officials and the system a short time following when the striker thought he had doubled Nottingham Forest's advantage.

Konaté, who experienced a poor match, made an weak effort to clear an the midfielder's ball and turned the ball against the Forest striker, who brought down before finding the bottom corner of Alisson's net. The referee, in contact with his linesman, ruled out the effort for a illegal use of hand that several reviews struggled to verify or disprove. League officials announced: "The decision of invalid score was reviewed and upheld by VAR – with it considered that the player unintentionally controlled the ball before finishing."

Another goal increases cushion

Any hope from the reprieve. Within seconds of the resumption Mac Allister did not cut out a delivery towards the defender inside the Liverpool box. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his defender and laid the visitors' second on a silver platter for teammate full back Savona, who located the keeper's roof of the net with a composed accurate strike.

Tactical changes fail

Arne Slot took risks, bringing off Konaté with Ekitiké after just before the hour and pairing the Les Bleus striker next to Alexander Isak. That experiment persisted all of a short period before Alexander Isak was withdrawn following one more ineffective display. Federico Chiesa and the youngster were further thrown into the hosts' offense but carelessness in possession and resolute Forest defending held the home side at arm's length.

Concluding goal wraps up the result

The visitors demonstrated the skill and penetration that the home team were lacking in the opposition half to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively