Liverpool snatched a dramatic victory at the very death against Nottingham Forest, leaving the home fans stunned and the league table incredibly tight! It was a moment of pure footballing drama as Alexis Mac Allister's last-gasp winner in the 97th minute secured all three points for Liverpool. This game, however, was far from a straightforward win. Just moments before the final whistle, a disallowed goal for Mac Allister due to a handball call had Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, fuming. The ball had, in fact, ricocheted off an Ola Aina clearance and into Mac Allister's path. This late goal completely deflated Nottingham Forest, marking a difficult start to Vítor Pereira's tenure and, for Liverpool, it was a case of being let off the hook after a rather uninspiring performance.
But here's where it gets controversial... For large parts of the match, Liverpool looked remarkably sluggish, especially in the first half. They managed a mere two shots, one blocked and one off target, with only three touches inside the opposition's penalty area. It felt like a missed opportunity against a Forest side battling to stay out of the relegation zone. This performance, however, shouldn't entirely overshadow the impressive impact Vítor Pereira has had since taking charge. Forest were coming off a morale-boosting 3-0 win against Fenerbahçe, and they carried that momentum into this match, fielding an unchanged side. It was peculiar, as Liverpool seemed to be the ones suffering from the effects of a long journey, despite not having played for eight days. Did this perceived fatigue play a role in their slow start?
And this is the part most people miss... The confidence was palpable within the Forest team, while Liverpool appeared disjointed and out of sorts. They never quite seemed to recover from a late change before kick-off, with Curtis Jones stepping in for Florian Wirtz. This shift seemed to set the tone. The renewed spirit at Forest was evident in players like Murillo, who had scored in their midweek European triumph, eagerly stepping up for a free-kick, and his defensive partner Nikola Milenkovic unleashing a powerful shot just before halftime. Forest were genuinely enjoying their football again.
From the opening whistle, Forest played with an aggressive intensity. Ibrahim Sangaré quickly dispossessed Jones and delivered a cross that found Callum Hudson-Odoi, forcing an early save from Alisson. Despite Slot's attempts to push his team forward, Forest's pressure was relentless. Omari Hutchinson, starting to show the form that prompted a club-record fee, tested Alisson again with a low shot. Virgil van Dijk was forced to intervene, denying Igor Jesus a shooting opportunity. Even Elliot Anderson, who was having a standout game, curled a shot just wide of the far post.
Liverpool did show signs of improvement after the interval, though the bar had been set quite low. Their first truly incisive attacking move came in the 53rd minute when Cody Gakpo made a clever run down the left flank and delivered a cross to Mohamed Salah at the back post. Salah controlled the header down for Jones, whose volley was ultimately blocked by Stefan Ortega. Astonishingly, until those final moments of stoppage time, this was Liverpool's only other shot on target. Salah himself contributed little else before being substituted for the young Rio Ngumoha, a substitute who would, ironically, play a part in the disallowed goal. Then, in the seventh minute of added time, Mac Allister found himself in the right place once more to score the decisive winner.
What are your thoughts on Liverpool's performance? Was it a lucky escape, or a testament to their never-give-up attitude? And how do you think Nottingham Forest will feel after letting such a valuable point slip away in the dying seconds? Let me know your opinions in the comments below!
