Liverpool facing disarray as Nottingham Forest conquer Anfield once more with 3-0 win
The away side's win at Anfield last season was a blip in an typically strong top-flight performances at Anfield for the Merseyside club. This recurrence this season, a far more convincing success under Sean Dyche, was a clear sign of the challenges plaguing the declining title holders.
Forest's outstanding performance
The team was impressive as they achieved their biggest win at Anfield. Goals from Murillo, outstanding at either side of the pitch, Nicolò Savona and the magnificent Gibbs-White inspired a merited victory for a team that also kept a initial shutout in 20 Premier League fixtures.
The home side's difficulties
The hosts, on the other hand, were a chaotic as they endured an eighth setback in eleven fixtures to slide into the bottom half of the standings. Ineffective at set pieces, again, impotent in the final third, as before, with Isak substituted after sixty-eight quiet minutes, and poor in defense, they faltered in every area to yield to a second successive heavy reverse.
Early control missing payoff
For the opening half-hour Liverpool maintained the upper hand, the infrequent break from the Forest attacker apart, but the inability to turn promise into the actual outcome of finishes cost them dearly. Mac Allister was offered an initial opening from the forward's drive into the box only for Elliot Anderson to execute a brilliant goalline clearance with his forehead. Mac Allister had a another effort stopped shortly after while impressive footwork from Mohamed Salah produced another near-post chance for Milos Kerkez. An opposition player just did enough to disturb the defender into sending high.
Set-piece weakness afflicts once more
Arne Slot has repeatedly bemoaned his side's weakness to counterattacks and dead balls now. This provided further evidence for complaint when the visitors opened the scoring through a mix of the two.
Dyche was surprised after Igor Jesus did not release DomÃnguez in space on the break and allowed the defender opportunity to clear. The ensuing corner kick sparked ecstatic moments in the Forest dugout, nevertheless, when Anderson's delivery glanced off Virgil van Dijk to the defender and the centre-half fired an unbeatable finish from six yards into the opposite side. This evoked reminders of Van Dijk's chalked-off finish against the champions in the Forest's opener with the forward located in an illegal position in front of Liverpool's returning keeper the goalie.
The review system decisions and debate
Predictably, the Van Dijk was swift to highlight the parallels to the match official, Andrew Madley. In contrast to Robertson at the Etihad Stadium, the forward made no obvious action in front of the goalkeeper and the goal stood. The league clarified: "The initial ruling of a score was checked and confirmed by the video system – with it judged that Ndoye was not in the view of the keeper and made no an action that affected an defender."
Liverpool were reprieved by the match officials and VAR two minutes after when Igor Jesus thought he had doubled Forest's lead.
The defender, who suffered a poor match, made an feeble attempt to remove an the midfielder's cross and directed the ball against the Forest striker, who controlled before placing the net of Alisson's posts. The referee, in communication with his assistant referee, ruled out the effort for a handball that multiple reviews found it hard to verify or deny. The Premier League announced: "The ruling of no goal was checked and upheld by the video assistant – with it judged that Igor Jesus accidentally handled the sphere before netting."
Another goal widens lead
That was the end of the respite. Almost immediately of the resumption Alexis Mac Allister failed to stop a pass towards Williams inside the Anfield 18-yard box. The full-back turned from his defender and laid Forest's second on a platter for fellow full back the scorer, who located Alisson's roof of the net with a simple accurate strike.
Tactical substitutions do not work
The manager went for broke, bringing off the defender with Ekitiké after 55 minutes and pairing the Les Bleus forward with the Swede. That experiment lasted just a short period before the striker was withdrawn following another ineffective display. the winger and Rio Ngumoha were also thrown into the Anfield's frontline but carelessness in possession and sturdy opposition backline held the home side at bay.
Concluding blow seals the result
Forest showed the skill and cutting edge that Liverpool were lacking in the attacking phase to put the contest {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively