While Szoboszlai will draw the headlines thanks to his creativity, Virgil van Dijk was once again almighty in the Anfield rearguard, with the Dutchman reclaiming his throne as the division’s best centre-half after struggling somewhat last season.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst remarked that “his drop-off has been staggering” as Liverpool fell by the wayside last year, but was appointed captain following the summer exits of Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

Against Forest, the 32-year-old colossus made four clearances, blocked two shots and completed a tackle and interception apiece, also winning eight of his nine (89%) duels, as per Sofascore, and contributed enormously toward the third clean sheet of the league campaign.

Furthermore, the £220k-per-week machine took 117 touches and completed 94% of his passes, while also making a key pass and succeeding with 12 of his 15 attempted long balls.

Journalist Lewis Bower even hailed his “magnificent” display, with the dominance he exudes in key moments simply breathtaking; quite simply, the away side’s advances fell flat on nearly every occasion.

As per FBref, the distinguished titan ranks among the top 5% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins and the top 14% for clearances per 90, further underscoring his value as one of the finest and most composed of his position.

Forest were destroyed, and Van Dijk’s confidence at the moment suggested a return to authority and a presence that was so crucial to Liverpool’s past great successes. He dominated the opposition with his commanding performance both in and out of possession.