Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: Mac Allister’s late winner sparks VAR debate — nottm forest vs liverpool

nottm forest vs liverpool delivered a dramatic finish at the City Ground as Alexis Mac Allister hammered home a 97th-minute winner to seal a 1-0 victory. The match featured a disallowed goal for handball, multiple VAR checks and strong reactions from managers and players.

Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: late drama

Alexis Mac Allister's 97th-minute strike ultimately decided the game after a chaotic closing period. Earlier in stoppage time Mac Allister had celebrated a goal that was ruled out when the ball was judged to have hit his elbow as Ola Aina's attempted clearance rebounded into the net following a Stefan Ortega save from a Hugo Ekitiké header. That disallowed goal triggered a VAR review and extended the added time by at least five minutes.

VAR overturn and referee ruling

Referee Anthony Taylor and VAR official Paul Tierney oversaw a pivotal sequence. Taylor's announcement read: "After review, the ball hits the arm of the goal scorer, Liverpool No. 10 [Mac Allister]. Therefore, it's an accidental handball by the goal scorer, so the final decision is a direct free kick. " The VAR review found the ball deflected off part of Mac Allister's arm with the tolerance level at the sleeve, and that intervention was judged correct; the law does not allow a goal to be scored by the use of hand or arm even if accidental.

How the winning move came together

When the final chance arrived, Joe Gomez, a late substitute, looked to throw long but instead located Dominik Szoboszlai infield. Szoboszlai, faced with Nicolás Domínguez about 30 yards from goal, jinked left then right to create an angle for a right-footed cross. Virgil van Dijk headed across goal; Murillo, facing his own goal, hooked the ball away but Mac Allister was positioned to hammer in from close range. A VAR check for offside on Virgil van Dijk showed the Netherlands defender marginally onside semi-automated technology and the goal was allowed to stand.

Reactions and emotions

Forest boss Vítor Pereira said he was "angry with football" and was left "numb" after his first league game in charge. Pereira's side, who had dominated at times and at one stage prompted City Ground fans to chant "In your head, Arne, Arne, Arne" to the tune of Zombie by The Cranberries as they appeared to boss the match, were described as not deserving to lose. The same chant came from the travelling support after Liverpool's late turn of fortune.

Managers, pundits and players respond

Arne Slot admitted mixed emotions: "My emotions were emotions of happiness and relief because this is the first time I have to do a different post match press conference. " Slot said his side "did not play a good game" and conceded they had "been on the wrong side of the score after a good performance too many times. " He added: "We got more than we deserved. A draw would have been a fair result. We needed to be on the right side of things once in a while. It felt we have been lucky. "

Jamie Carragher called it: "It's one of the biggest robberies I've seen in the Premier League this season. " Mac Allister defended the disallowed effort, saying: "It hit my back and my elbow. I understand the rule but if you understand football, that goal should have stood. " He also assessed his team's display: "The first half wasn't good at all; positioning, pressing, intensity. It was not our standard. The second half, I wouldn't say it was good but it was better. "

Standings and context

The 1-0 result moved Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, in fourth and fifth, with Chelsea having stumbled to a draw against Burnley and Manchester United set to visit Everton on Monday. Forest had come into the game after a memorable 3-0 win at Fenerbahce on Thursday and did not return from Turkey until Friday afternoon; Liverpool had last played eight days earlier. The match left Neco Williams lying on the turf as Liverpool celebrated, the away dugout emptying into the technical area and the visiting support going ballistic.

The match at the City Ground will be remembered for the disallowed goal, the late Mac Allister winner and the VAR interventions that shaped the outcome.