Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool: Vitor Pereira deflated in first league game in charge
Liverpool were nearly made to pay for over an hour of torpor. The first half was 45 minutes of football when nothing seemed to happen, even though there were men on the pitch pretending like a game of football was happening.
At least Nottingham Forest showed some renewed aggression and belief under new manager Vitor Pereira, in charge for his first league game after masterminding a brilliant 3-0 victory against Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
But in the latter stages matters heated up, both sides getting some close chances before Alexis Mac Allister turned home at the death to grab all three points.
Pereira was disheartened. His Forest side had the initiative in the first half, starting brightly when Ibrahim Sangare flighted the ball into Callum Hudson-Odoi’s path in the third minute. The winger’s effort ricocheted off Alisson before bouncing off his own knee for a goal kick and Liverpool had reprieve.
After a first half in which Liverpool managed only two shots, none on target, Forest emerged from the tunnel still the more confident team. Nikola Milenkovic headed narrowly wide from Hudson-Odoi’s cross.
Liverpool had to improve and they did. Mohamed Salah’s knockdown was directed goalwards by Curtis Jones and it seemed like the breakthrough, but Stefan Ortega in goal had the better of it.
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Forest came exceedingly close when Alisson scuppered an attempt to catch Nico Williams’ cross, but Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot was blocked, before Sangare dragged a follow-up effort wide.
Hugo Ekitike headed wastefully at Ortega from four yards following Rio Ngumoha’s cross, and Ola Aina could only manage to hit his hasty clearance against Alexis Mac Allister. It bounced off the midfielder and into the net and the Liverpool support exploded, but VAR ruled it had struck the midfielder’s arm to go in and would not count. Arne Slot turned away in disgust.
As proceedings drew to a close, more urgency set in. And then came Mac Allister’s moment. Dominik Szoboszlai floated a cross into the area but Virgil van Dijk’s header was kept out by Murillo and Ortega, and then there was Mac Allister, prodding home on the rebound to sicken Forest.
