🔗 Share this article

The away side's win here the previous campaign was a blip in an usually dominant Premier League performances at Anfield for the hosts. Their repeat this season, a decisively stronger victory under Sean Dyche, was symptomatic of the problems plaguing the declining former winners.

The visitors' superb display

Forest were exemplary as they secured their most significant triumph at the famous ground. Strikes from Murillo, superb at both ends of the playing surface, the full-back and the exceptional Gibbs-White spurred a merited win for a Forest side that also secured a maid clean sheet in 20 Premier League matches.

Liverpool's difficulties

The Reds, by contrast, were a disorganized as they experienced an 8th loss in eleven matches to slide into the bottom half of the table. Ineffective at set-plays, once more, ineffectual in attack, consistently, with the striker withdrawn after sixty-eight quiet period, and defensively weak, they faltered in all departments to succumb to a consecutive 3-0 defeat.

Opening dominance missing result

For 30 minutes the Reds maintained the initiative, the occasional counter from Gibbs-White apart, but the failure to capitalize on opportunities into the hard currency of scores cost them dearly. Mac Allister was presented with an early-on chance from Cody Gakpo's drive into the penalty area only for Elliot Anderson to execute a excellent desperate block with his skull. He had a second shot deflected soon after while impressive control from the winger produced another near-post opening for the defender. The visiting defender just succeeded to put off the back into blazing over.

Dead-ball vulnerability hits again

The manager has frequently bemoaned his side's susceptibility to fast breaks and set-plays this season. This provided further evidence for frustration when Nottingham Forest opened the scoring through a combination of the two.

Dyche was shocked after Igor Jesus was unable to release the midfielder in space on the break and presented Konaté opportunity to intercept. The ensuing set-piece sparked celebratory scenes in the Forest dugout, nevertheless, when Anderson's delivery touched the captain to Murillo and the defender drilled an unstoppable strike from inside the box into the far corner. This evoked echoes of the defender's chalked-off strike against the champions in the away team's first goal with Dan Ndoye standing in an offside in front of the home side's returning shot-stopper the Brazilian.

VAR rulings and controversy

As expected, the the skipper was prompt to point out the parallels to the referee, Andrew Madley. In contrast to the full-back at the Etihad Stadium, Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the keeper and the goal stood. The Premier League clarified: "The initial ruling of goal was reviewed and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that the player was outside of the line of vision of Alisson and avoided an action that influenced an defender."

The home side were let off by the officiating team and the system a short time later when the striker was convinced he had increased Forest's advantage.

Konaté, who suffered a dreadful afternoon, made an unconvincing try to remove an the midfielder's cross and directed the sphere against the forward, who controlled before placing the net of the keeper's goal. Madley, in communication with his linesman, disallowed the strike for a handball that several reviews found it hard to verify or disprove. The Premier League announced: "The decision of no goal was assessed and upheld by VAR – with it judged that the player accidentally handled the sphere before netting."

Follow-up strike extends cushion

That was the end of the let-off. Almost immediately of the kick-off Alexis Mac Allister was unable to intercept a delivery towards Williams inside the home penalty area. The former Liverpool defender evaded from his opponent and laid Forest's second on a silver platter for teammate full back Nicolò Savona, who found the keeper's upper corner with a calm accurate strike.

Strategic adjustments prove ineffective

Liverpool's coach took risks, bringing off Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and using the Les Bleus striker with Alexander Isak. That experiment persisted just 13 minutes before Isak was withdrawn following another quiet display. the winger and the youngster were further thrown into the hosts' offense but inefficiency in play and solid Forest defending prevented the home side at distance.

Concluding strike wraps up the result

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