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Forest's win on Merseyside the previous campaign appeared a one-off in an otherwise commanding top-flight performances at Anfield for Liverpool. A second successive win in the current campaign, a much more emphatic triumph under Sean Dyche, was symptomatic of the challenges afflicting the struggling champions.

Nottingham Forest's outstanding showing

The team was brilliant as they secured their largest triumph at the famous ground. Goals from the Brazilian, outstanding at each end of the field, the full-back and the superb Morgan Gibbs-White inspired a well-earned win for a squad that also kept a initial shutout in 20 Premier League fixtures.

Liverpool's woes

The Reds, by contrast, were a chaotic as they experienced an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures to drop into the lower half of the league. Weak at dead-ball situations, once more, impotent in the final third, again, with Alexander Isak replaced after sixty-eight anonymous period, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in all departments to fall to a back-to-back heavy reverse.

Early control without reward

For the opening half-hour the home side held the upper hand, the occasional break from the Forest attacker apart, but the inability to capitalize on opportunities into the tangible reward of scores hurt them significantly. the midfielder was offered an early chance from Cody Gakpo's drive into the box only for Elliot Anderson to execute a superb goalline clearance with his head. He had a follow-up attempt blocked soon after while impressive control from the winger set up another close-range opportunity for the defender. An opposition player just managed to pressure the back into blazing over.

Dead-ball vulnerability strikes repeatedly

Arne Slot has often criticized the team's susceptibility to counterattacks and set pieces in the current campaign. He was given new reason for concern when the visitors scored first through a blend of the each weakness.

The Forest manager was aghast after the forward failed to pass to Nicolás Domínguez in space on the fast attack and gave Ibrahima Konaté opportunity to clear. The following corner kick triggered jubilant reactions in the visitors' bench, however, when the midfielder's delivery glanced off Van Dijk to the goalscorer and the central defender fired an unstoppable strike from six yards into the far corner. This evoked echoes of the defender's ruled out strike against the champions in the visitors' initial score with the forward positioned in an offside position in front of Anfield's recovered shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR rulings and debate

As expected, the Van Dijk was prompt to point out the parallels to the referee, Andrew Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the Manchester, Dan Ndoye made no obvious movement in front of the goalkeeper and the strike remained. Officials confirmed: "The initial ruling of goal was reviewed and upheld by the assistant – with it deemed that he was outside of the sightline of Alisson and made no an move that affected an opponent."

Liverpool were let off by the officiating team and VAR 120 seconds later when Igor Jesus believed he had increased the visitors' advantage.

Ibrahima Konaté, who suffered a terrible afternoon, made an feeble try to remove an the midfielder's ball and turned the ball against the Forest striker, who controlled before slotting the net of the goalkeeper's goal. Madley, in contact with his assistant, ruled out the strike for a handling that various footage struggled to prove or deny. The Premier League said: "The referee's call of no goal was checked and confirmed by the video assistant – with it deemed that Igor Jesus inadvertently handled the ball before scoring."

Second strike increases lead

That was the end of the reprieve. Moments of the kick-off Mac Allister failed to intercept a ball towards the defender inside the Liverpool 18-yard box. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his defender and presented the visitors' second on a silver platter for fellow defender Nicolò Savona, who located Alisson's upper corner with a calm placed shot.

Tactical substitutions do not work

The manager made changes, replacing Ibrahima Konaté with the forward after the 55th minute and using the France forward next to Isak. This change persisted all of a short period before the striker was replaced following one more ineffective showing. Chiesa and the youngster were additionally introduced to the hosts' offense but carelessness in possession and resolute visitors' defense kept the hosts at bay.

Final strike wraps up the outcome

The visitors demonstrated the precision and cutting edge that the home team were missing in the attacking phase to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively