Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: 'Heist' at the City Ground as Mac Allister's 97th‑minute strike boosts top‑four hopes

In the stoppage turmoil at the City Ground, Alexis Mac Allister scored in the 97th minute to hand Liverpool a 1-0 win in a match that has been called a "heist" and left Nottingham Forest's boss saying he was "angry with football" — a result with immediate implications as Liverpool chase Champions League places in a tight table. The nottm forest vs liverpool fixture also extended Liverpool's run to three consecutive victories and clean sheets.

Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: the stoppage‑time sequence that decided it

The decisive passage began with a late phase of chaos. Stefan Ortega had earlier pawed away Hugo Ekitiké's header from Rio Ngumoha's cross with his right glove, and when Ola Aina tried to clear the ball his clearance struck Alexis Mac Allister and cannoned into the net; that goal was disallowed for handball. The video assistant referee, Paul Tierney, intervened and extended at least five minutes of added time, and moments later Dominik Szoboszlai played a right‑footed cross after eliding Nicolás Domínguez about 30 yards from goal. Virgil van Dijk headed across goal, Murillo hooked the ball away while facing his own goal, and Mac Allister feasted on the loose ball in the Nottingham Forest six‑yard box to hammer it in from close range in the 97th minute.

Disallowed goal, VAR checks and key individual moments

The earlier disallowed attempt was reviewed because the ball struck Mac Allister's elbow as Ola Aina's clearance ricocheted into the net after Ortega's save from Ekitiké. Mac Allister said the ball hit his back and his elbow and that he understood the rule but felt the goal should have stood. Another VAR check cleared Virgil van Dijk for offside on the match‑winning phase. Joe Gomez, introduced late as a substitute, had looked like he would send a long throw into the box but instead found Szoboszlai infield, a touch that helped create the final cross. Hugo Ekitiké's earlier chance and Ortega's save were pivotal moments that framed the dramatic finish.

Manager reactions: Slot, Pereira and the fallout

Arne Slot acknowledged Liverpool did not play well, calling parts of the first half the "worst half of his tenure" and saying his emotions were ones of happiness and relief because it forced a change in his post‑match routine. Slot said Liverpool had been on the wrong side of the score after good performances too often and that "we got more than we deserved" and that a draw would have been fair. Nottingham Forest's boss, Vítor Pereira, described himself as "angry with football" and was left numb — it was his first league game in charge. Pereira had named an unchanged Forest side after a memorable 3-0 midweek win at Fenerbahçe in Istanbul and despite not returning from Turkey until Friday afternoon.

Van Dijk, team resilience and immediate implications

Virgil van Dijk said the team must "keep going" to reach its highest level and that Liverpool are still looking for improvement. He noted the poor first half with and without the ball before a better second half, and praised the reaction when Forest's disallowed goal and the home support created momentum. Van Dijk highlighted long throws from Joe Gomez and the quality of Szoboszlai's ball into the box, saying "the game isn't over until it's over" and that Mac Allister ‘‘just had to finish it off. " The victory left Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United and keeps pressure on places above them; Chelsea had stumbled to a draw against Burnley, and Manchester United were due to visit Everton on Monday. Van Dijk also noted another difficult match was coming at the weekend against West Ham United.

Atmosphere, chants and the finishline scenes

Forest supporters had been vocal for large parts of the match, chanting "In your head, Arne, Arne, Arne" to the tune of Zombie by The Cranberries as Pereira's side enjoyed periods of dominance. The travelling Liverpool support later echoed the same chant when players reached the away end. At the final whistle Forest were described as floored: Neco Williams was lying on the turf, the away dugout emptied into the technical area, and the visiting support went ballistic. Pundit Jamie Carragher called it "one of the biggest robberies I've seen in the Premier League this season, " reflecting the strong sense that Forest did not deserve to lose despite Liverpool's late resilience and the importance of Mac Allister's added‑time strike.