Rio Ferdinand believes Virgil van Dijk's body shape allowed Chris Wood the space to get his shot away for Nottingham Forest's opening goal against Liverpool.

The Reds were on top during the opening few minutes of the match but were hit by a sucker punch when Wood but Forest in front in the seventh minute.

Forest claimed possession on the halfway line through Callum Hudson-Odoi, and just a few seconds later the ball was in the back of the net. Hudson-Odoi had passed the ball to Anthony Elanga, who quickly played it onto the in-form Wood.

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Wood guided a neat finish with his left foot across Alisson and into the far corner, and while Ferdinand praised Wood for the finish, he thinks Van Dijk helped Wood to make his mind up.

"He (Wood) gives Virgil something to think about here," Ferdinand said. "Virgil engages with the man on the ball, the body shape turns away from Wood, which I think gives Wood that extra little yard, and the (Van Dijk's) inability to cover that angle gives him the opportunity to put it in the bottom corner."

Meanwhile, Peter Crouch, who was alongside Ferdinand on punditry duty for TNT Sports, praised the home team's ruthlessness for scoring with its first chance of the game.

"They're soaking up pressure, the two center-halves are soaking up pressure, blocking everything, and they had one chance," Crouch said. "When you play this way, you need a clinical striker and that's what they've got at the moment in Wood. Liverpool a little bit sloppy in midfield, Gravenberch gives it away, great run from Wood and it opens up the space for Elanga. Great pass, one chance, one goal."