Alexis Mac Allister struck deep into stoppage time to spare Liverpool’s blushes and secure a dramatic 1–0 victory over struggling Nottingham Forest on Sunday, boosting the Reds’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Forest, led in the league for the first time by their fourth manager of the campaign, Vitor Pereira, appeared set to earn a valuable point after frustrating a below-par Liverpool for much of the contest.
Mac Allister thought he had broken the deadlock late on when he charged down Ola Aina’s clearance and found the net, but the effort was ruled out after the ball was adjudged to have struck his arm.
Forest failed to heed that warning. In the 97th minute, Mac Allister reacted quickest after Virgil van Dijk’s header was saved, sweeping home the rebound to snatch all three points. A lengthy VAR check followed, with Hugo Ekitike standing in an offside position, but the goal was ultimately allowed, much to Pereira’s frustration.
The defeat leaves Forest just two points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Liverpool remain sixth but move level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, and within six of Aston Villa. With English clubs performing strongly in European competition this season, a top-five finish is widely expected to secure Champions League qualification.
The hosts were dealt a setback before kick-off when Florian Wirtz suffered an injury during the warm-up. His creativity was sorely missed in a largely uninspired display that only came to life in a late surge.
Attention now turns to north London, where Arsenal face Tottenham in Sunday’s later kick-off. Spurs are under new leadership, with interim boss Igor Tudor taking charge for the first time as he attempts to steer the club clear of the relegation battle.
Arsenal’s grip on the title race has loosened after just two wins in their last seven league matches, allowing Manchester City to close to within two points at the summit.
Elsewhere, Fulham climbed into the top half of the table with a 3–1 win at Sunderland, only the second away side to triumph at the Stadium of Light this season. Raul Jimenez netted twice, heading in Alex Iwobi’s corner before converting his 13th Premier League penalty without a miss. Enzo Le Fee briefly reduced the deficit from the spot, but Iwobi sealed the win late on.
Crystal Palace eased mounting pressure at Selhurst Park with only their second victory in 16 matches. Evann Guessand’s 90th-minute strike secured a 1–0 win over 10-man Wolves.
Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson had earlier saved Tolu Arokodare’s first-half penalty, while Wolves’ Ladislav Krejci was sent off for kicking the ball away shortly after the hour mark. The bottom-placed visitors missed the chance to edge closer to avoiding Derby County’s record-low 11-point tally in a Premier League season.
AFP
