🔗 Share this article

Nottingham Forest's success on Merseyside the previous campaign seemed an anomaly in an typically strong English top division home record for the hosts. This recurrence now, a decisively stronger triumph under the Forest boss, was a clear sign of the problems afflicting the struggling former winners.

Forest's superb showing

Forest were impressive as they recorded their biggest triumph at the famous ground. Strikes from the defender, outstanding at each end of the field, Nicolò Savona and the exceptional Morgan Gibbs-White inspired a deserved victory for a team that also maintained a maid clean sheet in 20 Premier League fixtures.

The home side's woes

The Reds, on the other hand, were a disorganized as they endured an eighth setback in 11 matches to slide into the lower half of the table. Ineffective at set pieces, once more, unproductive in attack, consistently, with Isak replaced after sixty-eight uninfluential period, and vulnerable at the back, they failed in every area to succumb to a back-to-back three-nil defeat.

Early dominance lacking reward

For half an hour the Reds held the advantage, the sporadic break from the Forest attacker excepted, but the inability to convert chances into the actual outcome of scores cost them dearly. Alexis Mac Allister was presented with an early-on opportunity from Cody Gakpo's run into the box only for the Forest player to execute a brilliant desperate block with his forehead. He had a second shot blocked shortly after while dazzling control from Salah created another short-distance opening for the defender. A Forest defender just succeeded to disturb the defender into blazing over.

Set-piece weakness hits again

Arne Slot has often bemoaned his side's susceptibility to fast breaks and dead balls in the current campaign. He was given new reason for concern when Forest took the lead through a combination of the each weakness.

Sean Dyche was aghast after the forward was unable to find Domínguez in space on the break and allowed Ibrahima Konaté opportunity to clear. The following set-piece triggered jubilant reactions in the visitors' bench, nevertheless, when the midfielder's delivery deflected off Van Dijk to the defender and the defender fired an unstoppable finish from close range into the back of the net. It brought echoes of the defender's disallowed finish against Manchester City in the away team's opener with Ndoye located in an offside position in front of the home side's recovered goalkeeper Alisson.

VAR calls and dispute

Unsurprisingly, the Van Dijk was quick to point out the parallels to the referee, the ref. In contrast to Andy Robertson at the City's ground, Ndoye made no apparent action in front of the goalkeeper and the goal remained. The Premier League stated: "The on-field decision of valid strike was checked and upheld by the assistant – with it considered that he was outside of the line of vision of the goalkeeper and did not make an action that impacted an defender."

The Reds were let off by the referees and the system a short time after when the striker believed he had increased Nottingham Forest's cushion.

Konaté, who suffered a dreadful day, made an weak effort to clear an the midfielder's delivery and turned the object against the Forest striker, who brought down before placing the net of the keeper's net. Madley, in discussion with his assistant, disallowed the effort for a illegal use of hand that multiple footage were unable to verify or disprove. League officials stated: "The ruling of invalid score was checked and upheld by the video assistant – with it considered that Jesus unintentionally handled the object before finishing."

Another strike extends advantage

So much for the reprieve. Within seconds of the kick-off Mac Allister was unable to stop a pass towards Williams inside the home 18-yard box. The full-back turned from his defender and laid their next goal on a plate for partner full back the scorer, who found the keeper's top corner with a simple accurate strike.

Strategic adjustments prove ineffective

Arne Slot made changes, replacing the defender with Hugo Ekitiké after the 55th minute and pairing the France attacker with Alexander Isak. This change persisted all of less than a quarter-hour before Isak was substituted following another anonymous showing. Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha were further introduced to the hosts' offense but inefficiency in play and sturdy opposition backline held the hosts at distance.

Final blow seals the outcome

Forest demonstrated the finesse and cutting edge that the hosts were without in the attacking phase to seal the match {beyond doubt|out of reach|conclusively