Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool: nottm forest vs liverpool decided by Mac Allister 97th-minute 'heist'
nottm forest vs liverpool ended in Alexis Mac Allister's 97th-minute winner at the City Ground, a finish described as a 'heist' that left Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira "angry with football". The late goal moved Arne Slot's side level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United and capped a match of dramatic swings, VAR decisions and raw reaction.
Nottm Forest Vs Liverpool drama
The sequence that decided the game began inside stoppage time. Stefan Ortega had pawed away Hugo Ekitike's header from Rio Ngumoha's cross, and when Ola Aina attempted to clear the follow-up the ball struck Alexis Mac Allister and flew into the net. That effort was ruled out for handball because the ball was judged to have hit Mac Allister's elbow close to his body, and VAR official Paul Tierney intervened, extending the at least five minutes of added time.
How the late winner came
Liverpool regrouped and fashioned one last chance. Joe Gomez, a late substitute, chose not to throw long and instead found Dominik Szoboszlai infield. Szoboszlai, with Nicolás Domínguez about 30 yards from goal, beat Domínguez by jinking left then right to create an angle for a right-footed cross. Virgil van Dijk headed across goal, Murillo hooked the ball away while facing his own net, and Mac Allister was on hand to hammer the loose ball in from close range in the 97th minute. A VAR check cleared Van Dijk for offside before the celebrations at the away end.
VAR and the disallowed goal
The disallowed strike came after a strong save from Ortega to deny Ekitike; Ola Aina's clearance hit Mac Allister and struck his back and elbow en route into the net. 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 intervention of VAR extended stoppage time, setting the scene for the 97th-minute winner.
Manager and player reactions
Vitor Pereira summed his feelings with the words that he was "angry with football, " reflecting Forest's sense that they did not deserve to lose. Arne Slot accepted post-match emotions of "happiness and relief, " saying: "We did not play a good game. We have been on the wrong side of the score after a good performance too many times. 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. " Slot had previously failed to beat Forest in his three earlier attempts as Liverpool boss.
Van Dijk and team perspective
Virgil van Dijk urged continuity and improvement after the dramatic win, saying the side must "keep going" to find their "highest level" and that "it's a process, but we keep going and focus on the next one. " He noted Liverpool wanted to play their best football, acknowledged a very poor first half, and praised the reaction in the second half. Van Dijk highlighted the role of long throws from "Joey" Gomez and the quality of the final ball from Dom Szoboszlai, adding: "the game isn't over until it's over" and that Mac Allister "just had to finish it off. " The result made it three victories and clean sheets in a row for Slot's side.
Match context and consequences
The win was framed by commentators as a dramatic, even contentious, finish; one voice called it "one of the biggest robberies I've seen in the Premier League this season. " For Forest, the outcome felt harsh after a strong display: Neco Williams was left lying on the turf as the visitors celebrated, the home dugout emptied into the technical area, and the visiting support went ballistic. The result left Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United in fourth and fifth; Chelsea had stumbled to a draw with Burnley and Manchester United were due to visit Everton on Monday.
Forest's head coach had named an unchanged team after a memorable 3-0 win at Fenerbahce on Thursday and a return from Turkey only on Friday afternoon. The Forest performance followed that midweek momentum, and their return to league action in Vitor Pereira's first league game in charge felt promising until the late reversal. Slot described his side's first half as the worst of his tenure, noting the team had only two shots in the opening 45 (one blocked, one off target) and just three touches in the opposition box, before improving after the break.
The match at the City Ground will be remembered for its closing minutes: a disallowed strike, an extended spell of added time, and Alexis Mac Allister's 97th-minute finish that left Forest stunned and Liverpool relieved.
