Liverpool facing turmoil as Forest conquer Anfield once more with three-nil victory

Forest's victory at Anfield the previous campaign was a blip in an typically commanding top-flight home campaign for the hosts. This recurrence in the current campaign, a decisively stronger triumph under their manager, was a clear sign of the challenges afflicting the faltering former winners.

Nottingham Forest's outstanding display

Nottingham Forest proved exemplary as they recorded their largest victory at Liverpool's home. Strikes from Murillo, excellent at both ends of the pitch, the full-back and the exceptional Gibbs-White led to a well-earned victory for a team that also secured a first clean sheet in twenty Premier League fixtures.

Liverpool's struggles

The hosts, in comparison, were a disorganized as they endured an eighth loss in 11 games to fall into the lower half of the league. Weak at set-plays, repeatedly, unproductive in the final third, as before, with the striker withdrawn after 68 uninfluential moments, and vulnerable at the back, they struggled in each phase to fall to a back-to-back 3-0 defeat.

Initial pressure missing payoff

For half an hour the home side enjoyed the upper hand, the occasional attack from Morgan Gibbs-White excepted, but the shortcoming to turn promise into the actual outcome of goals hurt them significantly. Alexis Mac Allister was offered an early-on opening from Gakpo's drive into the penalty area only for Elliot Anderson to deliver a excellent line save with his skull. He had a follow-up attempt blocked soon after while impressive footwork from Salah set up another short-distance opening for Kerkez. A Forest defender just did enough to disturb the full-back into blazing over.

Set-piece weakness strikes once more

Liverpool's coach has frequently criticized the team's vulnerability to fast breaks and dead balls in the current campaign. This provided further evidence for concern when the visitors opened the scoring through a combination of the two.

The Forest manager was shocked after Jesus failed to find Nicolás Domínguez in space on the fast attack and gave the defender opportunity to clear. The ensuing corner triggered celebratory moments in the Forest dugout, though, when Anderson's ball glanced off the captain to the defender and the defender fired an unstoppable strike from inside the box into the opposite side. There were reminders of Van Dijk's ruled out goal against City in the visitors' initial score with Dan Ndoye standing in an illegal position in front of Anfield's fit-again shot-stopper the Brazilian.

VAR rulings and debate

Unsurprisingly, the Liverpool captain was swift to highlight the similarities to the match official, Madley. However, unlike the full-back at the Manchester, Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the keeper and the strike was given. The league stated: "The referee's call of goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it judged that Ndoye was not in the view of Alisson and did not make an action that impacted an opponent."

The Reds were saved by the officiating team and video review two minutes after when the striker thought he had increased the visitors' advantage.

The defender, who endured a terrible day, made an feeble effort to clear an the midfielder's delivery and deflected the ball against the attacker, who brought down before placing the bottom corner of Alisson's net. Madley, in communication with his assistant, ruled out the strike for a handling that multiple replays found it hard to prove or refute. League officials announced: "The decision of invalid score was reviewed and supported by VAR – with it deemed that the player unintentionally controlled the object before scoring."

Follow-up score increases cushion

That was the end of the respite. Moments of the restart Mac Allister was unable to cut out a delivery towards Neco Williams inside the Anfield box. The former Liverpool defender spun away from his opponent and laid Forest's second on a plate for fellow full back Savona, who found the goalkeeper's roof of the net with a calm placed shot.

Tactical adjustments prove ineffective

Liverpool's coach went for broke, substituting Ibrahima Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after just before the hour and partnering the French forward with Isak. The tactical shift persisted for only a short period before the striker was replaced following a further ineffective display. Federico Chiesa and Ngumoha were also thrown into the Liverpool attack but carelessness in play and sturdy opposition backline held the Reds at distance.

Concluding strike wraps up the result

The visitors showed the skill and penetration that the hosts were lacking in the final third to put the contest {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively