As this game ticked into the 97th minute, Liverpool snatched victory as Alexis Mac Allister feasted on a loose ball in the Nottingham Forest penalty area. Just before stoppage time, Arne Slot was apoplectic as Mac Allister saw an effort disallowed for handball, though in reality the Forest defender Ola Aina had smashed his clearance into the Liverpool midfielder’s back and it flew in past Stefan Ortega, who initially saved Hugo Ekitiké’s header. Mac Allister’s goal flattened Forest in Vítor Pereira’s first league game in charge and got Liverpool out of jail.
Slot’s side were abysmal in the first half, registering two shots, one of which was blocked and the other off target, while they had just three touches in the opposition box. Mac Allister ultimately made his count at the death as Liverpool moved level with Chelsea, who were held on Saturday, and Manchester United, who are not in action until Monday’s trip to Everton. Liverpool were stodgy for long periods but did improve and at the end they snaffled a precious three points.
For Liverpool, for so long it seemed this would prove a missed opportunity against opponents teetering above the drop zone. Maybe that would be underplaying Pereira’s impressive impact, his side backing up Thursday’s memorable 3-0 win at Fenerbahce with a promising performance here. The Forest head coach felt compelled to ride with the momentum gained from Istanbul, naming an unchanged team despite not returning from Turkey until Friday afternoon. Strangely it seemed Liverpool were the side feeling the aftereffects of a long trip, despite last playing eight days ago. In the end, maybe that advantage of mental and physical freshness played a part.
