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Forest's success at Anfield last season appeared a one-off in an otherwise dominant Premier League performances at Anfield for Liverpool. This recurrence now, a much more emphatic triumph under their manager, was a clear sign of the issues plaguing the declining champions.

The visitors' exemplary display

Forest were impressive as they recorded their most significant victory at the famous ground. Strikes from Murillo, outstanding at both ends of the playing surface, Nicolò Savona and the superb Gibbs-White spurred a well-earned success for a Forest side that also kept a maid clean sheet in twenty division games.

Anfield's woes

Liverpool, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they experienced an eighth loss in eleven matches to fall into the bottom half of the league. Ineffective at set pieces, repeatedly, unproductive in attack, as before, with Alexander Isak replaced after 68 quiet moments, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in every area to succumb to a second successive three-nil defeat.

Early pressure missing payoff

For the opening half-hour the home side enjoyed the advantage, the sporadic break from Morgan Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to capitalize on opportunities into the actual outcome of goals proved costly. Alexis Mac Allister was given an initial chance from Gakpo's surge into the penalty area only for Elliot Anderson to produce a excellent line save with his head. He had a second shot stopped moments later while impressive footwork from the winger set up another near-post chance for the defender. An opposition player just did enough to disturb the defender into firing over.

Set-piece vulnerability hits again

Liverpool's coach has often criticized the team's susceptibility to counterattacks and dead balls in the current campaign. He was given new reason for concern when Forest scored first through a blend of the two.

Dyche was shocked after Jesus did not pass to the midfielder in space on the break and allowed Ibrahima Konaté a chance to clear. The following set-piece sparked celebratory reactions in the Forest dugout, nevertheless, when Elliot Anderson's cross deflected off Virgil van Dijk to the goalscorer and the central defender fired an irresistible shot from close range into the opposite side. This evoked echoes of the defender's ruled out strike against City in the away team's opener with Dan Ndoye located in an offside position in front of Liverpool's fit-again shot-stopper Alisson.

Video Assistant Referee decisions and dispute

As expected, the Liverpool captain was swift to point out the parallels to the official, the ref. But unlike the full-back at the City's ground, Ndoye made no obvious gesture in front of the goalkeeper and the score stood. The Premier League confirmed: "The referee's call of valid strike was reviewed and confirmed by the assistant – with it judged that the player was away from the line of vision of the goalkeeper and made no an action that impacted an player."

The Reds were saved by the referees and VAR a short time after when Jesus thought he had doubled the visitors' lead.

Konaté, who endured a terrible match, made an feeble attempt to deal with an Sangaré's ball and deflected the object against the attacker, who controlled before slotting the bottom corner of the keeper's posts. Andrew Madley, in communication with his assistant, disallowed the strike for a handball that several reviews found it hard to verify or deny. The authority said: "The ruling of no goal was reviewed and confirmed by the video assistant – with it deemed that Jesus accidentally controlled the object before finishing."

Follow-up goal widens advantage

Any hope from the let-off. Almost immediately of the kick-off Mac Allister did not cut out a pass towards Neco Williams inside the Anfield box. The former Liverpool defender turned from his opponent and set up Forest's second on a platter for partner defender Savona, who found Alisson's top corner with a calm placed shot.

Strategic substitutions fail

Arne Slot went for broke, bringing off Konaté with the forward after just before the hour and partnering the Les Bleus striker next to the Swede. This change lasted just less than a quarter-hour before Isak was substituted following a further ineffective showing. Chiesa and the youngster were also introduced to the hosts' offense but inefficiency in ball control and sturdy Forest defending prevented the home side at bay.

Final blow confirms the result

Nottingham Forest displayed the precision and penetration that the hosts were without in the opposition half to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively