Soccer

Diogo Jota rescues draw for Liverpool against impressive Nottingham Forest

Subs make an impact for reds as Forest show why they are high flying in the Premier League table

Liverpool's Diogo Jota scores the equalising goal. Photograph: Paul Ellis/Getty
Liverpool's Diogo Jota scores the equalising goal. Photograph: Paul Ellis/Getty
Ben Fisher
Tue Jan 14 2025 - 22:20

Premier League: Nottingham Forest 1 (Wood 8) Liverpool 1 (Jota 66)

Just when it seemed nothing was dropping for Liverpool in a captivating contest, Arne Slot turned to his substitutes’ bench midway through the second half and exhibited his seemingly golden touch. Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota entered, the former teeing up the latter at a corner to equalise courtesy of their first touches. It was Liverpool’s first shot on target and the first goal Nottingham Forest had conceded in more than 500 minutes of action.

For Forest, this is a simply a ride supporters do not want to step off. This was another resounding display under Nuno Espírito Santo, another impressive step in an extraordinary season and a point lifts them to second, six points behind the pacesetters, who also have a game in hand. On this evidence, we may just have a title race, especially with both Chelsea and Manchester City dropping more points.

Nuno insisted the makeup of these teams had changed in the five months since his team handed Liverpool their sole league defeat of the season, the Portuguese at pains to say the parameters were totally different here, that this was an altogether different test. But from the moment Nuno arrived at the City Ground, wearing a backpack as if reporting for a 9-5 office job, this was the same old Forest: resolute, rigid in setup and devastating on the counterattack. The bass of Born Slippy, a staple pre-match anthem, reverberated around this bouncing stadium and the evident feelgood factor was in overload. By then Evangelos Marinakis, the owner, had already wandered around pitchside to survey the scene. Early on Ryan Yates, the captain restored to the starting lineup who joined the club aged eight, got in the face of Virgil van Dijk, touch-tight on halfway.

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Liverpool finished the first half with nine shots, the majority speculative from outside the Forest box, impeccably marshalled by Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo, a supreme partnership in defence. Cody Gakpo had Liverpool’s first effort, sidestepping Yates and then blasting over, off balance. Ryan Gravenberch twice managed a wild swing and a miss. Forest were on the back foot but comfortable. Under Nuno they thrive on seizing on moments, punishing lapses and when Callum Hudson-Odoi, who scored the winner at Anfield in September, nicked the ball from Mohamed Salah, the visitors were in trouble. Hudson-Odoi punched a pass into Anthony Elanga, who released Chris Wood down the left channel.

Forest cut Liverpool open with two incisive passes and Wood’s first-time finish, across goal, gave Alisson no chance. It was a fine Forest goal, Wood’s 14th of the season. Cue ecstasy in the stands, Forest fans of all ages in disbelief. Nuno, arms folded, was expressionless.

Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring goal. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring goal. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty

Little more than a minute later Murillo intercepted a loose Gravenberch pass and lashed a shot at goal from 30 yards. Even Nuno allowed himself a wry smile. Forest were in the mood but Liverpool, to their credit, were not floored. At the same time things were not coming off. Slot applauded after Trent Alexander-Arnold overcooked a diagonal pass meant for Gakpo. Luis Díaz wellied over from distance. Andy Robertson played a blind pass that bobbled out of play for a Matz Sels goalkick. Dominik Szoboszlai slapped his hands in frustration. Forest forced Liverpool errors, Ola Aina hounding Robertson to ruin a routine pass. Neco Williams prevented Salah from latching on to another clipped Alexander-Arnold pass. When Szoboszlai manhandled Morgan Gibbs-White on halfway, it was the latter who was penalised after he questioned the referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision not to caution the Liverpool midfielder.

The second half was shaping up to be a similar story for Liverpool until Slot made his double substitution that proved nothing short of magical. A few minutes earlier Gravenberch had threaded Díaz through on the edge of the box but he failed to connect. The Colombia forward grimaced and a pained Slot arched his back.

Forest were enjoying themselves, so much so Murillo attempted an audacious lobbed shot after storming into the opposition half having beaten Salah and Gravenberch to the ball. There were a few olés after Forest played neat triangles around Alexander-Arnold before Alexis Mac Allister chopped down Gibbs-White. From the subsequent free-kick Elanga rattled a laced effort at Alisson on the hour. It was another shot on target, something that eluded Liverpool.

Robertson endured a difficult night, underscored by shanked clearances and stray passes, and it was no surprise he was one half of the pair withdrawn by Slot on 65 minutes. Nobody, surely not even the Dutchman, could have hoped Robertson’s replacement would make such an immediate impact. The same went for Jota, who replaced centre-back Ibrahima Konaté, a plain indication Slot was in no mood to mess around. Tsimikas’s left-footed corner arced into the box and Jota got between Wood and Murillo to glance a header past Sels, who had another magnificent game.

Aina cleared a Salah shot off the line with 88 minutes on the clock and Szoboszlai saw a low effort deflected wide but Sels probably departed the pitch as Forest’s hero, saving low from Gakpo in seven minutes of fraught stoppage time. - Guardian