Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool Report

Scorers: Wood 8’; Jota 66’

A shrewd tactical adjustment by Liverpool manager Arne Slot rescued a 1-1 draw at the City Ground, denying Nottingham Forest their first league double over the Reds since the 1962/63 season.

Despite Chris Wood’s early opener and a heroic defensive display from Forest, Diogo Jota’s second-half header ensured Liverpool escaped with a point to remain top of the Premier League.

First Half: Forest Strike Early Amid Liverpool Pressure

Liverpool began the match on the front foot, dominating possession and piling pressure on the Forest defence. However, it was the hosts who struck first in the eighth minute.

Anthony Elanga threaded a precise pass to Chris Wood, who clinically finished across Alisson Becker with his weaker foot, sending the City Ground into raptures.

Forest, buoyed by the early goal, nearly doubled their lead moments later when Murillo’s curling effort narrowly missed the target. Callum Hudson-Odoi’s deflected strike was then comfortably collected by Alisson.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Liverpool struggled to break through Forest’s compact and disciplined defence, with Luis Díaz’s speculative effort and Neco Williams’ critical block on Dominik Szoboszlai typifying the visitors’ frustration.

Second Half: Tactical Tweaks and Resilient Defending

Nuno Espírito Santo’s Forest maintained their shape and discipline after the break, continuing to frustrate Liverpool’s attacking stars.

Murillo’s timely block denied Szoboszlai, while Mohamed Salah’s first real chance of the match didn’t come until the 59th minute, with the Egyptian dragging his shot wide.

At the other end, Anthony Elanga’s dangerous free-kick forced Alisson into a smart save, but Liverpool found their breakthrough in the 66th minute following a double substitution from Slot. Kostas Tsimikas delivered a pinpoint corner that Diogo Jota headed past Matz Sels, scoring with Liverpool’s first shot on target.

Late Drama: Forest Hold Firm

Liverpool pushed hard for a winner, but Forest’s goalkeeper Matz Sels produced a string of extraordinary saves to preserve the draw.

Sels denied Jota, Salah, and Cody Gakpo in quick succession, while Ola Aina’s goal-line block thwarted Salah again. Despite relentless late pressure, Forest held firm, extending their unbeaten league run to eight matches and maintaining their position in second place.

What’s Next?

Forest’s impressive form keeps them second in the table, six points behind Liverpool. The Reds, meanwhile, remain top but face growing pressure with Arsenal and Forest both in pursuit. Both sides will look to build on this result as the season’s intensity ramps up.

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Nottm Forest v Liverpool, 2024/25 | Premier League