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Nottingham Forest's win at Anfield last season seemed an anomaly in an usually commanding Premier League home record for the Merseyside club. This recurrence this season, a much more emphatic success under their manager, was symptomatic of the challenges afflicting the faltering title holders.

Forest's outstanding performance

The team was exemplary as they achieved their most significant victory at Anfield. Goals from Murillo, superb at each end of the field, the full-back and the magnificent the playmaker inspired a merited win for a Forest side that also secured a maid clean sheet in twenty Premier League games.

The home side's difficulties

Liverpool, in comparison, were a mess as they endured an eighth defeat in eleven games to drop into the second tier of the standings. Ineffective at dead-ball situations, again, ineffectual in attack, as before, with Isak withdrawn after 68 anonymous moments, and defensively weak, they faltered in all departments to yield to a back-to-back heavy reverse.

Initial dominance without payoff

For the opening half-hour the home side held the initiative, the sporadic attack from Morgan Gibbs-White apart, but the shortcoming to turn promise into the actual outcome of finishes proved costly. Mac Allister was offered an initial chance from Cody Gakpo's drive into the box only for Anderson to deliver a superb goalline clearance with his skull. The Liverpool midfielder had a second shot deflected shortly after while skilful control from the winger produced another near-post opening for the defender. The visiting defender just succeeded to pressure the defender into sending high.

Set-play weakness afflicts again

The manager has repeatedly lamented the team's vulnerability to counterattacks and set-plays in the current campaign. There was new reason for complaint when Forest scored first through a mix of the both aspects.

Sean Dyche was surprised after the forward did not release Domínguez in room on the break and gave Konaté the opening to clear. The following set-piece caused ecstatic scenes in the away team's area, however, when the midfielder's ball deflected off Virgil van Dijk to Murillo and the central defender hammered an unstoppable finish from close range into the opposite side. There were echoes of Van Dijk's disallowed finish against Manchester City in the away team's first goal with Ndoye located in an offside in front of Liverpool's recovered goalkeeper Alisson.

Video Assistant Referee calls and controversy

Predictably, the Liverpool captain was prompt to point out the parallels to the match official, Andrew Madley. However, unlike Robertson at the Manchester, Ndoye made no clear gesture in front of the goalkeeper and the goal remained. The Premier League clarified: "The on-field decision of valid strike was checked and verified by the assistant – with it judged that Ndoye was not in the line of vision of the goalkeeper and did not make an move that affected an player."

Liverpool were reprieved by the referees and VAR two minutes following when the striker thought he had added to Nottingham Forest's advantage.

The defender, who suffered a dreadful afternoon, made an weak attempt to deal with an Sangaré's delivery and directed the sphere against the forward, who brought down before finding the net of the keeper's goal. The referee, in communication with his assistant, ruled out the effort for a handling that various footage were unable to verify or deny. League officials announced: "The referee's call of invalid score was checked and upheld by VAR – with it considered that the player unintentionally controlled the ball before scoring."

Follow-up strike extends cushion

Any hope from the let-off. Almost immediately of the kick-off the midfielder was unable to cut out a delivery towards the defender inside the Liverpool box. Williams evaded from his opponent and presented the visitors' second on a plate for teammate wing-back Nicolò Savona, who found the goalkeeper's upper corner with a composed side-foot finish.

Tactical changes fail

Liverpool's coach went for broke, substituting Ibrahima Konaté with the forward after 55 minutes and using the Les Bleus striker alongside Alexander Isak. The tactical shift lasted all of a short period before the striker was substituted following another ineffective performance. the winger and the youngster were additionally thrown into the Liverpool attack but sloppiness in ball control and resolute visitors' defense prevented the hosts at bay.

Late strike confirms the result

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