Liverpool secured a huge three points in their quest to play Champions League football next season, as Alexis Mac Allister struck at the death to condemn Nottingham Forest to a harsh 1–0 defeat.
The Reds were miles off the pace for the majority of the contest, and fortunate to enter the half-time interval without a deficit to make up in the second half. Forest, now with Vitor Pereira at the helm, didn’t give them a sniff, and it looked like the spoils were going to be shared at the City Ground.
However, a dramatic conclusion played out, with Mac Allister seizing on the loose ball in the Forest box to convert the winner, having had a rather bizarre goal chalked off for handball just moments earlier.
Liverpool’s triumph means they capitalised on Chelsea’s 1–1 draw with Burnley, and Arne Slot‘s side are now level on points with the fourth-place Blues.
One Thing We Can’t Ignore
Newcastle United’s wretched record at the Etihad Stadium worsened on Saturday night, with Manchester City’s 2–1 victory meaning the Magpies are now winless in 21 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium.
Sunday’s clash was Liverpool’s ninth visit to the City Ground in this competition, and they’d triumphed just once before Sunday’s game.
It seems that the Reds are only able to win away at Nottingham Forest when they produce 90 minutes of wretched football before striking cruelly at the last. They did so during Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge, with Darwin Núnez doing the smashing and grabbing on that occasion.
This time it was Mac Allister, whose performance typified Liverpool’s sluggishness. Nevertheless, the Argentine, who was moved into an advanced midfield role in the second half, was in the right place at the right time to help the visitors secure the points.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alisson—8.1: Despite the home team’s superiority, Alisson didn’t have all that much to do after smothering Callum Hudson-Odoi’s effort in the opening exchanges. A cool head throughout.
RB: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.0: Slot once again turned to Szoboszlai to lift the Reds, with the Hungarian utilised in a variety of roles in a bid to have an influence.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.8: It was a scrappy duel with Igor Thiago, but Konaté came out on top.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.2: Van Dijk struggled early and looked uncomfortable when he confronted Morgan Gibbs-White in midfield. Much better when defending his box.
LB: Milos Kerkez—7.0: Liverpool probably could’ve made better use of Kerkez’s clever positioning in the build-up, with Kerkez occasionally doing well to escape Forest pressure. The left back held up pretty well defensively, too.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.4: Gravenberch never really got a hold of the midfield, which was dominated by Ibrahim Sangaré and Elliot Anderson.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.3: The Argentine had a rollercoaster few minutes at the end of the game, having had a goal ruled out before he struck the winner that counted. The midfielder struggled his way through the game, but he produced the pivotal moment.
RW: Mohamed Salah—6.6: After an excellent showing last week, Salah got no change out of former teammate Neco Williams on Sunday afternoon.
AM: Curtis Jones—5.8: A late entrant to the starting XI after Florian Wirtz picked up an injury in the warm-up. However, Jones typified Liverpool’s early sluggishness, and Slot opted to switch him with Szoboszlai midway through the first half.
LW: Cody Gakpo—7.0: Again, the Dutchman sauntered through the contest without having much of an influence. Liverpool had no joy down the left, and defenders are finding it easy to contain him at the moment.
ST: Hugo Ekitiké—7.1: This wasn’t Ekitiké‘s slickest showing, with his combination play suffering as a result of a lack of service. Should’ve scored late on with a header from close range before Mac Allister’s goal was ruled out.
SUB: Federico Chiesa (77’ for Gakpo)—6.1: The Italian didn’t have much of an influence at all.
SUB: Rio Ngumoha (77’ for Salah)—6.5: Supplied a spark off the bench, and he simply must be eating into Gakpo’s minutes moving forward
SUB: Joe Gomez (83’ for Jones)—N/A
SUB: Andy Robertson (83’ for Kerkez)—N/A
Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Kieran Morrison, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Florian Wirtz’s increased comfort on Merseyside meant his absence, due to an injury sustained just before kick-off was a big blow. In came Curtis Jones, but the Englishman had a torrid time in the middle of the park. Nottingham Forest’s excellent midfield seized upon Jones’ tendency to hold onto the ball for too long, and he failed to function as the link man between defence and attack.
- Nottingham Forest’s threat gradually waned, but Liverpool’s defence, particularly Ibrahima Konaté, played a crucial role in ensuring the Reds never fell behind. Alisson was seldom tested, and that was because the Reds were superb at blocking Forest’s efforts from range.
The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Fortuitous Triumph
- Liverpool enjoyed just 41% possession and notched a mere 0.06 expected goals in a first half completely dominated by the home team.
- The visitors were outshot 18–10, but Forest recorded just two shots on target.
- More than half of Liverpool’s 1.76 xG came after the 89th minute, with Ekitiké’s header and Mac Allister’s winner accounting for the bulk of their total haul.
| Statistic | Nott’m Forest | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 47% | 53% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.26 | 1.76 |
| Total Shots | 18 | 10 |
| Shots on Target | 2 | 4 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 4 |
| Passing Accuracy | 83% | 84% |
| Fouls Committed | 13 | 9 |
| Corners | 7 | 2 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest: Relief Papers Over Widening Cracks.
