Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool — Mac Allister's injury-time leveller wins it for Liverpool
Alexis Mac Allister struck in stoppage time to secure a late victory in the match billed as nottm forest vs liverpool, a result that settled a tense contest and left Forest’s new manager frustrated after a promising first half. The finish came after an earlier Liverpool effort was disallowed and a series of dramatic moments inside the penalty area.
How the winner came and the disallowed chance that preceded it
As the game ticked into the 97th minute, Mac Allister capitalised on a loose ball in the Nottingham Forest penalty area to grab the decisive goal. Just before stoppage time there had been controversy: an effort from Mac Allister was ruled out for handball, prompting an angry reaction from Arne Slot. Replays in the match showed Forest defender Ola Aina had smashed a clearance into the Liverpool midfielder’s back and the ball flew in past Stefan Ortega, who had initially saved a Hugo Ekitiké header earlier in the sequence.
Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: Vítor Pereira rues late defeat in his first league game
Vítor Pereira described himself as "very frustrated" after what he called a fantastic first half in Forest's first league game under his charge. Pereira said Forest created chances and did not concede in the first period, noted the second half was difficult because the side had played three days earlier and travelled four hours, and said the team "didn't press properly. " He added that in his opinion one point was the minimum and that zero points was not fair. Pereira highlighted a tactical error — "we must put the tallest guys where their tallest guys are" — said the loss came down to a small detail, and praised supporters who stayed with the team until the last minute. He said the team has talent, the players have ambition, and he is confident they will get points until the end of the season, saying "one point is better than nothing" and that they "have to come back stronger. "
Liverpool selection: two changes and a last-minute swap
The club made two changes for the fixture at the City Ground. Hugo Ekitike was restored in attack and Ryan Gravenberch returned to midfield; Federico Chiesa and Florian Wirtz were omitted from the side that began last weekend's win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Wirtz had originally been named in the starting XI at the City Ground but was replaced by Curtis Jones before kick-off and subsequently withdrew from the squad. Freddie Woodman was added to the bench in his place.
The starting XI read: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Ekitike, Gravenberch. The listed substitutes were Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Morrison and Ngumoha.
Match rhythm: Forest pressure, Liverpool late improvements and key moments
Forest were aggressive from the first whistle. Ibrahim Sangaré pinched possession from Curtis Jones and floated a cross for Callum Hudson-Odoi that forced Alisson into action inside two and a half minutes. The hosts' pressure showed across the match: Omari Hutchinson sent a low effort at goal, Murillo — who had opened the scoring in midweek — pushed for set-piece duties, and Nikola Milenkovic hammered a long-range strike before half-time.
At the other end, Slot's side were described as abysmal in the first half, registering two shots — one blocked, the other off target — with just three touches in the opposition box. Liverpool improved after the break: in the 53rd minute Cody Gakpo cut inside, floated a cross to Mohamed Salah, who cushioned a header for Curtis Jones, whose volley was blocked by Ortega. Until the final moments of stoppage time that sequence was Liverpool’s only other effort on target. Salah was later replaced by 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
Other Premier League results and manager reactions from the weekend
Elsewhere, Evann Guessand's goal gave Crystal Palace a late win over 10-man Wolves. Palace boss Oliver Glasner said the team had been nervous in the first half, making many easy mistakes, that a goalkeeper saving a penalty was important, and that the red card for the opposition helped. Glasner said the second half instruction had been to keep a clean sheet, that the impact off the bench with Guessand decided the game, and that the win was a big relief. He linked the result to recent form, calling the victory a "first small step" after an away win at Brighton, and said the transfer window had been noisy and expectations around the club were higher than ever, so regaining confidence and structure was important.
At Sunderland, Iwobi scored Fulham's third in that match. Sunderland boss Regis le Bris described the game as balanced with key moments defining the outcome, said his side had a big opportunity just before Fulham's goal which shifted momentum, and admitted set pieces had not been managed well. On injuries he commented "it is what it is, " called the day not a good one but part of the journey, and said the players were disappointed — a common reaction after defeat for a newly-promoted side that must show character to react.
Finally, the north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal is scheduled for 16: 30 ET. A line in the provided material referencing Wolves boss Rob Edwards is incomplete and unclear in the provided context: "Wolves boss Rob Edwards, sp".
