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Nottingham Forest's success on Merseyside in the prior year appeared a one-off in an otherwise strong Premier League home campaign for the Merseyside club. Their repeat now, a far more convincing triumph under Sean Dyche, was symptomatic of the issues engulfing the struggling former winners.

Nottingham Forest's superb display

Nottingham Forest proved exemplary as they achieved their biggest win at Liverpool's home. Strikes from Murillo, outstanding at either side of the playing surface, the full-back and the magnificent Morgan Gibbs-White inspired a merited win for a team that also maintained a maid clean sheet in 20 division matches.

The home side's difficulties

The Reds, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they endured an 8th defeat in eleven fixtures to slide into the bottom half of the league. Ineffective at set pieces, repeatedly, impotent in attack, as before, with the striker substituted after sixty-eight anonymous moments, and poor in defense, they struggled in every area to succumb to a second successive heavy reverse.

Early dominance missing result

For the opening half-hour the Reds maintained the advantage, the occasional counter from Gibbs-White aside, but the inability to capitalize on opportunities into the hard currency of finishes cost them dearly. Mac Allister was offered an initial chance from the forward's run into the penalty area only for the Forest player to produce a superb goalline clearance with his head. The Liverpool midfielder had a another effort deflected shortly after while impressive skill from Salah set up another near-post opportunity for Kerkez. The visiting defender just managed to put off the defender into sending high.

Dead-ball frailty strikes once more

Liverpool's coach has repeatedly lamented his side's susceptibility to fast breaks and dead balls now. There was further evidence for frustration when Forest opened the scoring through a mix of the both aspects.

The Forest manager was surprised after the forward did not find Domínguez in space on the counter and allowed the defender a chance to intervene. The resulting corner triggered celebratory reactions in the Forest dugout, however, when Anderson's delivery touched the captain to Murillo and the central defender drilled an irresistible strike from close range into the far corner. This evoked similarities of the defender's ruled out goal against City in the away team's initial score with Dan Ndoye positioned in an illegal position in front of Liverpool's returning goalkeeper Alisson.

The review system rulings and dispute

Unsurprisingly, the the skipper was prompt to highlight the similarities to the referee, Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Dan Ndoye made no apparent movement in front of the goalkeeper and the score was given. The Premier League confirmed: "The referee's call of goal was checked and confirmed by the video system – with it considered that Ndoye was away from the view of the keeper and made no an move that influenced an player."

The home side were saved by the match officials and video review 120 seconds following when Igor Jesus thought he had added to Forest's cushion.

Ibrahima Konaté, who experienced a terrible match, made an weak effort to deal with an the midfielder's ball and turned the sphere against the Forest striker, who brought down before finding the bottom corner of the goalkeeper's posts. Andrew Madley, in communication with his linesman, ruled out the effort for a handball that multiple footage struggled to confirm or deny. The Premier League stated: "The decision of invalid score was checked and upheld by the video assistant – with it deemed that the player inadvertently controlled the sphere before scoring."

Second score increases lead

Any hope from the let-off. Within seconds of the resumption Alexis Mac Allister did not intercept a delivery towards Neco Williams inside the home 18-yard box. The full-back evaded from his defender and set up Forest's second on a plate for teammate full back Nicolò Savona, who located Alisson's roof of the net with a composed side-foot finish.

Strategic substitutions do not work

Arne Slot made changes, bringing off Ibrahima Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after the 55th minute and partnering the French attacker alongside Alexander Isak. The tactical shift persisted all of less than a quarter-hour before Isak was withdrawn following a further quiet showing. Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were further thrown into the hosts' offense but sloppiness in play and sturdy Forest defending prevented the home side at distance.

Late strike seals the result

The visitors showed the finesse and incisiveness that Liverpool were missing in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively