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Nottingham Forest's victory here in the prior year seemed an anomaly in an typically strong Premier League home campaign for the hosts. This recurrence in the current campaign, a decisively stronger victory under Sean Dyche, was indicative of the problems engulfing the declining champions.

The visitors' superb performance

The team was exemplary as they achieved their biggest triumph at the famous ground. Goals from the defender, excellent at both ends of the pitch, the full-back and the magnificent Gibbs-White led to a well-earned success for a squad that also maintained a first clean sheet in 20 division games.

The home side's woes

The Reds, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they endured an 8th setback in 11 matches to slide into the bottom half of the table. Weak at set-plays, once more, impotent in offense, consistently, with Isak substituted after sixty-eight anonymous moments, and poor in defense, they faltered in each phase to fall to a consecutive heavy defeat.

Early pressure missing payoff

For half an hour the Reds held the initiative, the occasional attack from Morgan Gibbs-White apart, but the inability to capitalize on opportunities into the actual outcome of scores hurt them significantly. Mac Allister was offered an early opening from Gakpo's drive into the box only for the Forest player to deliver a superb goalline clearance with his head. The Liverpool midfielder had a second shot blocked moments later while skilful skill from Salah set up another short-distance chance for the defender. An opposition player just managed to pressure the back into sending high.

Set-piece frailty afflicts again

Liverpool's coach has frequently criticized his side's vulnerability to counterattacks and set-plays this season. This provided new reason for concern when the visitors opened the scoring through a combination of the each weakness.

The Forest manager was shocked after Igor Jesus did not release the midfielder in an open area on the counter and presented Ibrahima Konaté a chance to intercept. The ensuing corner caused jubilant reactions in the away team's area, though, when Elliot Anderson's ball glanced off the captain to the defender and the centre-half fired an unstoppable strike from six yards into the back of the net. This evoked reminders of Van Dijk's ruled out finish against City in the visitors' opener with Ndoye located in an offside in front of the home side's returning shot-stopper the goalie.

VAR decisions and dispute

As expected, the the skipper was swift to highlight the parallels to the official, Andrew Madley. However, unlike the full-back at the Etihad Stadium, Dan Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the keeper and the strike stood. Officials confirmed: "The initial ruling of valid strike was reviewed and verified by the assistant – with it deemed that the player was away from the sightline of the keeper and did not make an action that influenced an player."

The home side were saved by the referees and the system a short time following when Igor Jesus was convinced he had increased Nottingham Forest's advantage.

The defender, who experienced a terrible match, made an feeble try to deal with an the midfielder's delivery and turned the ball against the Forest striker, who handled before slotting the net of the goalkeeper's net. Andrew Madley, in communication with his linesman, chalked off the effort for a handball that various replays struggled to confirm or disprove. League officials said: "The ruling of no goal was checked and upheld by VAR – with it considered that Jesus accidentally controlled the sphere before scoring."

Second strike increases advantage

Any hope from the reprieve. Within seconds of the resumption Alexis Mac Allister was unable to cut out a pass towards Williams inside the Anfield box. The full-back turned from his marker and presented Forest's second on a platter for fellow defender Nicolò Savona, who found the keeper's upper corner with a simple placed shot.

Tactical substitutions do not work

The manager took risks, bringing off Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after the 55th minute and pairing the France striker next to the Swede. That experiment continued all of a short period before Isak was withdrawn following another ineffective showing. Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were additionally thrown into the hosts' offense but sloppiness in play and solid visitors' defense held the hosts at arm's length.

Concluding strike confirms the result

Forest demonstrated the precision and cutting edge that the home team were without in the attacking phase to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively