Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: How a 97th-minute 'heist' reshapes the title race and survival fight

Why this matters now: the stoppage-time winner in Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool did more than decide a match — it altered relative momentum. Alexis Mac Allister's 97th-minute strike moved Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, sharpening their Champions League hunt, while Nottingham Forest remain two points clear of the drop zone despite feeling hard done by after controversial late decisions.

Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool — immediate table impact and shifting momentum

Here’s the part that matters: Liverpool’s victory is effectively a short-term market shift in the top-four race, with points parity against two rivals now a reality. For Forest, the late defeat keeps them within a narrow buffer from relegation, intensifying pressure despite a dominant display. The emotion in both dugouts underlines how a single stoppage-minute swing can recalibrate season-long objectives.

Late drama and the sequence that produced a 97th‑minute winner

The ending produced two decisive moments for Alexis Mac Allister. First, a goal was disallowed after a Forest clearance rebounded off Mac Allister into the net; officials judged the ball hit his arm and overturned the goal. Later, at 97 minutes, Mac Allister seized on a loose ball and smashed it home to deliver a 1-0 victory for Liverpool. Mac Allister said, "It hit my back and my elbow. I understand the rule but if you understand football, that goal should have stood. " The winner came after Hugo Ekitike had been denied earlier by Stefan Ortega and after an initial late disallowed effort when Ola Aina’s clearance ricocheted in off Mac Allister.

VAR, referees and the technical rulings that decided the game

Officials and VAR were central. The overturned goal occurred with a recorded incident at 90 minutes: the referee Anthony Taylor reversed the on-field decision after a VAR review by Paul Tierney, announcing that the ball hit the arm of the goal scorer and that an accidental handball meant a direct free kick. The intervention tied back to the law that a goal cannot stand if the ball contacts a hand or arm even accidentally. At 97 minutes, a separate VAR check examined Virgil van Dijk for offside when the cross arrived; semi-automated technology showed van Dijk was marginally onside and the goal was allowed to stand. Analysts working in the VAR space — including an ex-Select Group referee with extensive VAR experience — concluded the first overturn followed protocol and that the second decision was tight but correct on the offside call. A former player-turned-pundit also reflected on Mohamed Salah’s involvement in the late action.

Forest’s performance, managerial context and fan reaction

Vitor Pereira, taking charge of Nottingham Forest in his first Premier League match as manager, saw his side dominate large parts of the game — producing 12 of 14 first-half shots and creating a clean-through opportunity for Callum Hudson-Odoi that was saved by Alisson. Pereira said he was "angry with football" after the result and judged his team did not deserve to lose. Home fans chanted "In your head, Arne, Arne, Arne" to the tune of Zombie, reflecting their belief that Forest had outplayed the defending champions. Pereira had selected the same line-up that had won away to Fenerbahce, and he was aiming to avoid becoming the first Forest manager since Dave Bassett in 1997 to lose his first top-flight game in charge.

Player ratings, personnel notes and immediate season signals

• Nottingham Forest starting ratings: Ortega, Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus, Hutchinson. Subs: Ndoye, Bakwa, Dominguez, Lucca, McAtee (n/a).
• Liverpool starting ratings: Alisson, Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo. Subs: Ngumoha, Chiesa, Gomez (n/a), Robertson (n/a).
• Player of the Match: Ibrahim Sangare. Additional context: Liverpool are now six points behind Aston Villa in third. Before this match, Arne Slot had failed to beat Nottingham Forest in his previous three attempts as Liverpool boss.

It’s easy to overlook, but the match combined managerial firsts, tactical upheaval and emotional swings: Liverpool struggled early, reportedly adapting poorly to the loss of Florian Wirtz to injury before kick-off, and at one point Curtis Jones was tried as a No. 10 before switching positions with Dominik Szoboszlai inside half an hour.

• Key takeaways: Liverpool gain crucial momentum in the top-four chase; Forest keep a narrow cushion from relegation despite dominant play; VAR protocol delivered two contrasting outcomes within seven minutes; the result intensifies pressure on league positioning for both clubs.
• Groups most affected: players who were directly involved in the late incidents (Mac Allister, van Dijk, Ortega, Aina), the managers adjusting immediate tactics, and supporters whose moods swung dramatically between pride and frustration.
• Next signals that will confirm direction: repeated successful late interventions for Liverpool would suggest improved resilience; conversely, if Forest replicate this performance without points, it would underline a persistent finishing problem.

Micro timeline (key moments):

• Time: 90 minutes — goal for Liverpool overturned after VAR review for handball involving Alexis Mac Allister.
• Time: 97 minutes — VAR checks offside on Virgil van Dijk; semi-automated technology shows him marginally onside and Alexis Mac Allister's finish is allowed to stand.

The real question now is whether this one match will act as a turning point for Liverpool's consistency or for Forest's capacity to convert dominance into points; details and reactions will continue to unfold, and some elements remain hotly debated.