At the City Ground on Saturday, Premier League leaders Liverpool stunned relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 1-0 to grab three points, with Darwin Núñez scoring a last-gasp goal.
With 63 points from 27 games, Núñez’s goal in the 99th minute pushed Liverpool four points ahead of second-place Manchester City, even though Pep Guardiola’s team still has a game in hand. As a consequence, Forest was reduced to four points above the relegation zone, finishing in 17th place.
The conditions made it the most difficult game we’ve ever played, according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. “Four games in 11 days is really tricky with the squad situation we have.”It was very unique. As you could see, we had difficulty in every aspect of the game today. It’s very challenging. Fantastic sensation. I’m overjoyed. What the lads are doing is everything I can ask for.”
Following the final whistle, referee Paul Tierney was besieged by furious Forest coaches, and first-team coach Steven Reid was given a red card. There was chaos. Owner of the Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, also approached Tierney after expressing his displeasure at the touchline.
Although Liverpool had the better of the possession, they faltered in the latter third against Forest’s determined defense, and a draw seemed to be the likely outcome.
Liverpool persisted in applying pressure, and Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels produced some incredible late saves, such as a fantastic diving save from a header by Núñez minutes before the substitute’s late heroics on Alexis Mac Allister’s cross, which sent the Liverpool bench into convulsions.
Mac Allister said, “I knew it was last-minute and I just had to put it in at that moment.” “For us, Darwin is a very significant player. In the Premier League, there are seldom any easy games. really joyful, really joyful.”
Mac Allister’s composure was commended by Klopp.
“The goal was set up by a guy who was the calmest on the whole pitch,” he said. “He was composed. There, he chips the ball. Excellent help and a very significant aim.”
The referee officially awarded eight minutes of added time, which may have been the reason for Forest’s complaints and their dissatisfaction that the hosts did not regain possession of the ball when play was stopped following a head injury sustained by Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté at a Forest corner just prior to the goal.
Tierney whistled as Forest was in the vicinity of Liverpool’s territory. Konate bounced back fast, and Tierney then dropped the ball to Caoimhin Kelleher, the goalkeeper for Liverpool, who launched the offensive that ended with the goal.
“The ball has to go back to the team that has possession if the referee stops the game—which he is entitled to for a head injury—according to the law,” said Mark Clattenburg, a former Premier League referee who is now a referee analyst at Forest.
During their busy 11 days, Liverpool defeated Luton Town in the league, defeated Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round, and defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
Additionally, Klopp has struggled with an injury issue that has kept important players out of the lineup, such as star Mohamed Salah, who missed another game on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. This has forced him to fill up the void with inexperienced players.
“If you’d told me 12 days ago we would win all four games I would have said no chance, it was impossible,” Klopp said. “In the circumstances winning the games is ridiculous.”
On Saturday, substitutes Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai made their injured comeback, and their influence was seen right away.
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