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The away side's victory on Merseyside last season was a blip in an typically dominant top-flight home record for the Merseyside club. Their repeat in the current campaign, a far more convincing triumph under Sean Dyche, was a clear sign of the issues plaguing the declining champions.

The visitors' outstanding performance

Forest were exemplary as they achieved their biggest triumph at the famous ground. Strikes from the Brazilian, superb at each end of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Morgan Gibbs-White spurred a deserved success for a squad that also secured a first clean sheet in 20 division games.

The home side's struggles

The hosts, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they endured an eighth defeat in eleven matches to slide into the second tier of the standings. Poor at set pieces, again, ineffectual in the final third, as before, with the striker substituted after sixty-eight uninfluential minutes, and vulnerable at the back, they faltered in every area to succumb to a second successive heavy defeat.

Opening pressure lacking reward

For the opening half-hour Liverpool enjoyed the initiative, the infrequent counter from Gibbs-White apart, but the shortcoming to convert chances into the hard currency of goals proved costly. Alexis Mac Allister was offered an early opportunity from the forward's surge into the area only for the Forest player to deliver a excellent desperate block with his forehead. He had a another effort blocked shortly after while dazzling skill from the winger created another short-distance opportunity for the defender. An opposition player just succeeded to pressure the full-back into firing over.

Dead-ball frailty afflicts again

The manager has often lamented his side's vulnerability to fast breaks and dead balls this season. This provided new reason for complaint when the visitors opened the scoring through a blend of the each weakness.

Sean Dyche was aghast after Igor Jesus failed to find the midfielder in an open area on the break and gave Ibrahima Konaté a chance to clear. The ensuing set-piece triggered ecstatic scenes in the Forest dugout, however, when Elliot Anderson's delivery deflected off the captain to the goalscorer and the centre-half drilled an unbeatable finish from close range into the back of the net. It brought similarities of the defender's disallowed finish against City in the visitors' initial score with the forward located in an offside position in front of Anfield's fit-again shot-stopper the goalie.

The review system rulings and dispute

Unsurprisingly, the Liverpool captain was swift to point out the parallels to the match official, Madley. But unlike Andy Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, Dan Ndoye made no obvious action in front of the goalkeeper and the goal stood. The league confirmed: "The referee's call of goal was examined and confirmed by the video system – with it deemed that the player was not in the sightline of the goalkeeper and made no an move that affected an defender."

The home side were reprieved by the referees and VAR 120 seconds after when the striker believed he had added to the visitors' lead.

The defender, who endured a dreadful afternoon, made an feeble effort to deal with an Sangaré's cross and deflected the ball against the attacker, who handled before finding the net of Alisson's posts. Andrew Madley, in communication with his assistant referee, chalked off the attempt for a handball that various replays found it hard to prove or disprove. League officials announced: "The ruling of disallowed strike was reviewed and confirmed by the video assistant – with it considered that the player unintentionally handled the ball before finishing."

Second strike increases lead

So much for the let-off. Almost immediately of the restart Mac Allister failed to cut out a pass towards the defender inside the Anfield box. The full-back evaded from his marker and set up their next goal on a platter for partner full back the scorer, who found the keeper's roof of the net with a simple placed shot.

Managerial adjustments fail

Liverpool's coach made changes, replacing Ibrahima Konaté with Hugo Ekitiké after 55 minutes and partnering the French striker alongside Isak. The tactical shift lasted for only 13 minutes before the striker was substituted following one more ineffective showing. the winger and the youngster were further added to the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in play and resolute opposition backline held the hosts at distance.

Concluding goal confirms the outcome

Nottingham Forest demonstrated the skill and incisiveness that the hosts were missing in the final third to decide the game {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively