Slot provides trustworthy verdict on Liverpool show vs Forest

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke after the 1-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest and admitted the end result didn’t totally replicate the stability of the sport.

The Dutchman, talking to Sky Sports activities through BBC Sport, acknowledged that Alexis Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner arrived in a match the place we spent lengthy spells underneath strain on the Metropolis Floor.

He mentioned: “If you happen to rating within the final minute, there’s all the time a component of luck however so many instances this season, we’ve skilled the alternative. A draw would have been a fairer end result than a win for us.”

The late aim secured three essential factors within the race across the Champions League positions, however the efficiency itself advised a special story.

Slot explains Liverpool first-half issues

Liverpool struggled from the opening whistle, notably after Florian Wirtz was injured within the warm-up and Curtis Jones needed to come into the aspect, forcing a reshuffle that briefly noticed Dominik Szoboszlai fill in at right-back earlier than positions had been adjusted.

Forest registered 12 first-half pictures – essentially the most any aspect has produced in a primary half of a Premier League sport in opposition to us since Stoke Metropolis in Might 2015 – whereas we managed solely two makes an attempt and no pictures on course.

Slot overtly admitted his aspect couldn’t address Forest’s midfield early on: “The primary half was troublesome as a result of Forest performed nicely and so they have good gamers.

“I needed extra management over their midfield. I highlighted how nicely they performed however we misplaced each ball.

“The one a part of the sport was defending contained in the field. We needed to defend loads of set items. We stayed within the sport.”

That description matched the attention check as a result of Liverpool couldn’t preserve possession and repeatedly discovered ourselves pinned again defending crosses and second balls.

Second-half enchancment and late drama

After the break the competition modified barely, with Liverpool creating extra strain and making an attempt extra pictures early within the second half than throughout all the first interval.

Slot advised fatigue could have helped: “We took over the sport within the second half, possibly as a result of they performed on Thursday.

“We scored twice and I’d not have been shocked if each objectives had been dominated out however possibly our luck is popping.”

The primary Mac Allister effort was disallowed after a prolonged VAR evaluation earlier than the Argentine midfielder reacted quickest to Virgil van Dijk’s saved header minutes later to attain the winner.

Key match details (Opta)
Worth

Newest profitable aim time
96:10

Successful objectives scored 90+ minutes (PL)
48 (membership report excessive)

First-half Forest pictures
12

Liverpool first-half pictures
2

Liverpool touches in opposition field (1st half)
3

Slot additionally singled out 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha for his impression late within the match.

“The primary aim was due to him. An excellent cross on the top of Hugo Ekitike, which you’d anticipate to be a aim. It was an excellent one v one which is what this sport wanted.

“He already performs an enormous half for a 17-year-old. It tells you the way an enormous of expertise he’s.”

With Mo Salah wanting removed from blissful at being introduced off the pitch, there shall be some irony that {the teenager} prompted havoc on the identical wing the Egyptian had struggled to make any impression on.

The efficiency was disjointed and much from convincing, however the end result moved us stage on factors with the edges across the Champions League race.

It was not a match we managed, but it was precisely the kind of sport that may form a season.