Liverpool v Nottingham Forest Live Commentary & Result, 22/04/2023, Premier League

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCI Manchester City	38	28	5	5	94	33	+61	89	L D W W W
2	ARS Arsenal	38	26	6	6	88	43	+45	84	W L L W W
3	MUN Manchester United	38	23	6	9	58	43	+15	75	W W W W L
4	NEW Newcastle United	38	19	14	5	68	33	+35	71	D D W D L
5	LIV Liverpool	38	19	10	9	75	47	+28	67	D D W W W
6	BHA Brighton & Hove Albion	38	18	8	12	72	53	+19	62	L D W L W
7	AVL Aston Villa	38	18	7	13	51	46	+5	61	W D W L L
8	TOT Tottenham Hotspur	38	18	6	14	70	63	+7	60	W L L W L
9	BRE Brentford	38	15	14	9	58	46	+12	59	W W W L W
10	FUL Fulham	38	15	7	16	55	53	+2	52	L D W W L
11	CRY Crystal Palace	38	11	12	15	40	49	-9	45	D D W L W
12	CHE Chelsea	38	11	11	16	38	47	-9	44	D L L D W
13	WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	11	8	19	31	58	-27	41	L D L W L
14	WHU West Ham United	38	11	7	20	42	55	-13	40	L W L W L
15	BOU AFC Bournemouth	38	11	6	21	37	71	-34	39	L L L L W
16	NFO Nottingham Forest	38	9	11	18	38	68	-30	38	D W D W L
17	EVE Everton	38	8	12	18	34	57	-23	36	W D L W D
18	LEI Leicester City	38	9	7	22	51	68	-17	34	W D L L D
19	LEE Leeds United	38	7	10	21	48	78	-30	31	L L D L L
20	SOU Southampton	38	6	7	25	36	73	-37	25	D L L L L

That concludes our commentary of the Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest! We hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Liverpool travel to London to play West Ham in their next match on Wednesday, while Nottingham Forest return home to welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to The City Ground on the same day.

A phenomenal second half of action comes to a close with Liverpool taking all three points at Anfield, thanks to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest. 0-0 at the break with little in the way of goal-scoring chances, both coaches must have given their squads rousing team-talks, as the game exploded to life after the restart. Jota gave his side the advantage with a close-range finish but it would only stand for four minutes, before former Red Williams equalised for Forest. Jota would again put his team in front with his second effort in eight minutes but Gibbs-White’s scissored strike again gave the visitors a foothold. Not to be denied, Salah would get involved in the action and score the winning goal 20 minutes from time, with all three of the hosts’ finishes coming thanks to set-pieces. The win puts Klopp’s side into sixth while Forest drop to 19th.

90' + 6' FULL-TIME: LIVERPOOL 3-2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST.

90' + 4' The fourth official indicates five minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.

90' + 3' Nunez spots Navas off his line and looks to chip the goalkeeper from 18 yards out but despite scrambling to cover his far post the goalkeeper’s intervention is not required as the shot falls off-target.

90' + 1' The ball breaks for Mangala on the edge of Liverpool’s penalty area, with the midfielder immediately shaping to curl an effort into the top corner. It’s a decent attempt but it fails to bend back towards the target as Alisson can watch it go by for a goal-kick.

89' Johnson twists and turns to earn an inch of space ahead of Robertson before sending a flat cross into the penalty area. Mangala gets on the end of it and manages to direct a backwards header towards goal but it’s easy pickings for Alisson.

E. Dennis

Felipe

87' One final swap for Forest sees Dennis given a chance. Felipe is the man to make way.

A. Ayew

Renan Lodi

87' Looking to get more attacking players on the pitch, Cooper sends on Ayew for Lodi.

S. Surridge

T. Awoniyi

87' Surridge replaces Awoniyi with just three minutes remaining.

85' Liverpool have lost just one of their last 37 Premier League home games (W27 D9), a 2-1 defeat against Leeds in October. They've also only failed to score in one of these 37 games, a goalless draw with Chelsea in January.

N. Williams

Yellow Card

83' Williams leaves his leg outstretched and catches Diaz, bringing down the substitute in midfield. It’s a yellow card for the Forest wing-back; the first booking of the game.

J. Milner

C. Jones

81' The ageless Milner is trusted by Klopp to see out the remainder of the game, with Jones making way.

L. Díaz

Diogo Jota

81' Jota is recalled to the bench before he can complete his hat-trick, with the forward coming off the pitch to loud applause. Diaz enters the fray with nine minutes left.

79' JOHNSON OFF THE CROSSBAR! Who else but Niakhate to set up the chance for Forest, with the imposing centre-back launching another dangerous throw-in into Alisson’s penalty area. It’s initially repelled by Konate before Gibbs-White manages to poke a header through the lines for Johnson, who clips his close-range attempt over the goalkeeper and onto the woodwork!

78' Nottingham Forest won the reverse fixture against Liverpool 1-0 in October – only twice before have they ever done the league double over the Reds, doing so in 1910-11 and 1962-63.

B. Johnson

R. Freuler

76' Johnson comes on for Freuler with Forest looking for another equaliser with 14 minutes left.

74' Again Niakhate’s long throw-ins create panic inside the Liverpool penalty area, with three Forest players keeping the ball in the air with headers before Awoniyi’s incredibly acrobatic overhead-kick attempt puts the ball onto the roof of the net for a goal-kick.

72' Niakhate and Henderson get into a shoving match off the pitch during a Forest throw-in, with the Liverpool captain not willing to let his opponent restart play. The two get into each other’s faces and pushing ensues before the referee de-escalates the situation without producing a card.

T. Alexander-Arnold

Assist

70' Alexander-Arnold is rewarded for his fantastic deadball deliveries, with an assist for Liverpool's third goal.

Mohamed Salah

Goal

70' ANOTHER TWIST IN THE TALE! 3-2 LIVERPOOL! Again a free-kick puts Forest to the sword, with Salah initially winning the set-piece after a foul from Felipe. Alexander-Arnold swings the ball into the far post where it’s met by Salah, whose first-time effort despite being off-balance beats Navas from close range!

69' The first half may have been somewhat reserved, but the second half has been delightfully entertaining, with both sides scoring clever and exciting goals from out of nowhere. It’s been a real treat and despite the four goals in 20 minutes, there is still more for this match to offer with both sides seemingly open at the back.

M. Gibbs-White

Goal

67' FOREST BRING THEMSELVES LEVEL AGAIN! 2-2! Niakhate again threatens the Liverpool penalty area with a long throw-in, looking for Felipe at the near post. It’s Van Dijk who wins the battle but he heads it directly to an open Gibbs-White, who throws himself at the chance and beats Alisson with a lovely scissor-style finish from 16 yards out!

65' ANOTHER GREAT SAVE! Konate steps out of defence neatly with a lovely move on the ball and sprays a pass into the penalty area for Jota from a position just outside the centre-circle. Between two defenders, the left winger manages to get his head to the ball and force a brilliant diving save out of Navas, who lifts it over the crossbar for a corner.

64' Worrall receives Niakhate’s long throw-in with a smart touch to play Awoniyi inside the penalty area. After his initial pass to Gibbs-White is deflected back to him, the striker flashes a quick shot that fails to find the target from an acute angle.

62' Salah leads Henderson towards the byline with a pass, putting the captain in a position to swing in a cross. The delivery is a good one towards the penalty spot but Felipe wins the aerial duel and temporarily clears the danger.

Thiago Alcântara

Fabinho

60' Fabinho is also replaced on the hour, with Thiago sent on in his place.

D. Núñez

C. Gakpo

60' Liverpool make their first change of the match, with Nunez replacing Gakpo at striker.

58' Alexander-Arnold spots the forward run of Henderson and pings a ball over the top of the defence from inside the centre-circle. It’s a good idea from the full-back but he puts his pass slightly ahead of his captain, with Navas stepping off his line to get there first.

57' The match has exploded into life in the second half, with three goals in just 10 minutes following the restart. Jota’s double has the hosts once again in the lead but there are certainly more twists in the tale with over a half-hour remaining.

A. Robertson

Assist

55' A Liverpool full-back again takes full advantage of a set-piece to create a goal-scoring opportunity, with Robertson notching the assist.

Diogo Jota

Goal

55' LIVERPOOL AREN’T FINISHED YET! 2-1! Robertson’s free-kick from the left flank finds Jota on the penalty spot, in inexplicable amounts of space. The Portugal international has time to bring the ball down with his chest, before keeping it up with his knee and finally picking out a powerful volley that beats Navas at his far post!

53' Nottingham Forest are winless in their last 10 Premier League games (D3 L7), their longest such streak since a run of 19 between September 1998 and January 1999.

M. Gibbs-White

Assist

51' Gibbs-White's clever pass to Williams in acres of space is the assist for Forest's equaliser!

N. Williams

Goal

51' FOREST FIND THEIR EQUALISER! 1-1! The immutable law of the ex-player has come back to haunt Liverpool, with a turnover in possession following a throw-in leading to an immediate chance for the visitors. Gibbs-White keeps the ball between two defenders and opens play with a switch to the right side for Williams, the former Red, who takes a touch before smashing a shot that Alisson’s hand can do nothing about!

50' Robertson clips a cross in towards the penalty spot from just outside the area, but Henderson’s powerful header is blocked from close range by Niakhate.

49' Navas’ free-kick sent up the pitch is knocked on by Mangala, finding Gibbs-White in a pocket of space just over 20 yards from goal. The forward immediately strikes a clean volley towards Alisson, forcing the goalkeeper into a smart diving stop.

Fabinho

Assist

47' Fabinho gets the assist after picking out Jota with his header.

Diogo Jota

Goal

47' LIVERPOOL TAKE THE LEAD! 1-0! There’s little surprise that the hosts break the deadlock through a set-piece, with Alexander-Arnold’s lovely corner-kick bouncing somewhat unfortunately off of Niakhate and straight to Fabinho. Unselfishly, the Brazil international puts his header across the face of goal for Jota, who beats Lodi to the ball and turns it into an empty net!

46' Liverpool get the match restarted from the kick-off!

With the three points necessary, Liverpool must continue to pour forward in search of the opener, while not leaving themselves exposed to the counter-attack. With both Nunez and Thiago able to come on and give the hosts a different dynamic, we should expect Klopp to freshen up his side and rotate his forwards to find the right formula. Forest will look to keep a clean sheet for as long as they can, picking their opportunities to attack carefully with a point at Anfield a good result despite their league position. Johnson and Dennis could be sent on for Danilo and Awoniyi respectively, with legs tiring late in the game.

Despite Liverpool’s overwhelming dominance in the first half, the two sides head into the interval at Anfield locked in a 0-0 battle. Klopp’s side were handed the initiative from the opening kick-off, with Cooper happy to instruct his men to sit in an organised, low block and wait to hit on the counter-attack. Despite having few opportunities to get forward and test Alisson, Navas and the Forest defence remained tight and solid during open play. Liverpool looked at their most dangerous during attacking free-kicks orchestrated by Alexander-Arnold, with both Van Dijk and Jota squandering gilt-edged chances despite the right-back’s spectacular deliveries.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: LIVERPOOL 0-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST.

45' + 2' In search of a late goal that will give Liverpool the opportunity to head into the half ahead, Fabinho misplays a ball out to the right wing for Alexander-Arnold, forcing Salah to abandon his position up the pitch in order to retreat and save possession before rolling out for a throw-in.

45' The fourth official indicates three minutes will be added to the end of the first half for stoppages.

43' Salah again cuts inside before looking to find the feet of Gakpo but Felipe reads the intentions of the winger and immediately pokes the ball away with a hurried toe-punt.

41' Salah plays a square pass from the right touchline into the feet of Gakpo, who immediately plays it forward to the byline for Alexander-Arnold. The full-back’s overlapping run gets him onto the ball and in space inside the penalty area but a poor first touch takes it behind for a goal-kick.

39' HOW HAS IT GONE WIDE?! Again, Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick delivery is superb, putting the ball right on the head of Jota at the far post. With nobody marking the Portugal international and the goalkeeper out of position, the winger manages to prod his effort the wrong side of the post from two yards out!

38' Salah drops his shoulder with speed and skill and cuts inside on Niakhate, winning another free-kick on the right-hand side - with Alexander-Arnold standing over the deadball.

37' Despite seeing over 85 per cent of the ball with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, Liverpool have only mustered one more shot on target than their opponents. There’s no doubt the hosts have been the better, more positive of the two sides but as it stands they remain level on the score sheet.

35' Liverpool are up to their sixth corner of the half but again the hosts fail to use set-pieces to their advantage. Robertson’s far-post effort meets the head of Van Dijk, whose effort is blocked from close range. The ball breaks to Salah on the right-edge of the penalty area but his curled effort to the far post sails well wide.

33' Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 23 home league games against Nottingham Forest (W18 D5), since a 2-0 loss in February 1969.

31' CLEARED OFF THE LINE! Alexander-Arnold’s latest corner falls to the foot of Gakpo, standing 10 yards away from Navas’ target. The striker hurries a shot that looks to beat the goalkeeper if not for Williams’ crucial clearance to prevent a certain goal!

J. Worrall

S. McKenna

30' Confirmation of the enforced change on the half-hour mark, with Worrall stepping into the defence to replace the injured McKenna.

28' Play is stopped for McKenna ahead of Liverpool's corner-kick, with the player seemingly injuring his shoulder during the earlier set-piece. The centre-back is down receiving treatment on the pitch while Cooper readies a substitute on the touchline.

27' PHENOMENAL SAVE! INCREDIBLE! Alexander-Arnold swings the free-kick into the penalty area with trademark accuracy, finding the charging Van Dijk at the back post. The centre-back gets the better of McKenna and powers a header high towards goal from point-blank range but the Costa Rica international throws himself at the ball and manages to tip it just over the crossbar!

26' Mangala is furious as the referee gives Liverpool a free-kick on the right wing 30 yards from goal, but his mistimed swing of the leg did appear to catch the full-back.

25' Despite camping all 10 outfield players inside Forest’s half while attacking, Liverpool are finding it difficult to make the defence-splitting runs necessary to stretch the opposing back line. Cooper’s defence is keeping a good line which denies the vertical movement of Salah and Gakpo, forcing Klopp’s midfield to often turn around and play it backwards.

23' Jota is allowed to cut inside from the left and sees Gakpo with his back to goal on the edge of the 18-yard box but the backheeled return pass is immediately pounced upon by the Forest defence, who promptly whack it clear.

21' Henderson skips past Mangala on the right wing with a lovely bit of footwork but the captain’s eventual cross is put right into the awaiting arms of Navas.

20' Looking to attack down the left often, Jones is occupying a wide position with his boots often on the touchline. Looking to facilitate the transition between Robertson and Jota, the midfielder is looking to help create an overload on the flank and open space for the Portugal international to cut inside.

18' Lodi gives it away to Salah in midfield, with the Egypt international immediately skipping away from McKenna to get to the edge of the Forest penalty area. Unselfishly, he looks to play an incisive pass through the lines for Gakpo, but Niakhate’s perfectly timed sliding challenge puts the ball out for a throw-in.

16' Forest win their first corner of the match - taken by Gibbs-White - but it’s a poor, inswinging delivery that’s easily cleared away by both Jota and Van Dijk on the edge of the six-yard box.

14' Konate uses his strength to muscle Awoniyi off the ball inside Liverpool’s penalty area, but Danilo is right behind his team-mate to win back possession and continue the move. The attacker looks to use fancy footwork to step past his marker but Konate’s positioning forces his opponent to carry the ball beyond the line for a goal-kick.

12' Cooper’s side are perfectly happy to cede possession to their opponents, with Forest seeing just 13 per cent of the ball in the opening 12 minutes. They’ll have to be clinical with the few chances they get throughout the match, with Awoniyi a somewhat isolated figure at the top of the pitch.

10' The latest Liverpool corner-kick is a dangerous effort swung in by Alexander-Arnold, with the ball allowed to bounce inside the six-yard box after Awoniyi’s failed clearance. It’s a nervy moment for the visiting defence but Williams clears the initial danger before a Mangala block on a Salah shot allows Forest to get back up the pitch.

8' Alexander-Arnold is tasked with taking the set-piece but it’s turned behind by Awoniyi, who gives the hosts a second corner - this time from the other side.

7' Alexander-Arnold launches a long pass over the top of the defence for Henderson inside the penalty area. Niakhate looks to have it covered but a poor first touch puts it behind for a fortunate Liverpool corner.

5' Gakpo cuts inside from the left after playing the ball off Freuler and has a strike from 24 yards out that fails to force Navas into a save, with the effort sailing wide of the far post.

3' Liverpool have started the match ponderously, knocking it about in midfield slowly looking for the openings in Forest’s low block. The hosts will have to be patient and controlled if they wish to successfully test Navas, with the back three lining up just inside their own penalty area.

1' Nottingham Forest get the match underway from the kick-off!

Nottingham Forest make one alteration to the side that lost 2-0 against Manchester United six days ago, with Mangala stepping into midfield, dropping Johnson to the bench.

Liverpool name an unchanged XI from the side that beat Leeds United 6-1 on Monday. Alisson starts in goal behind a back four of Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate and Alexander-Arnold. Jones and Henderson play either side of Fabinho in midfield while Salah and Jota are tasked with supplying Gakpo - who starts at striker.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST SUBS: Brennan Johnson, Andre Ayew, Oliver Hammond, Jesse Lingard, Harry Toffolo, Joe Worrall, Sam Surridge, Emmanuel Dennis, Wayne Hennessey.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST XI (3-4-2-1): Keylor Navas; Felipe, Moussa Niakhate, Scott McKenna; Neco Williams, Orel Mangala, Danilo, Renan Lodi; Remo Freuler, Morgan Gibbs-White; Taiwo Awoniyi.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Caoimhin Kelleher, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner, Harvey Elliott, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Joel Matip.

LIVERPOOL XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Curtis Jones; Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota.

With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the sides are lining up - starting with our hosts.

Winless since a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at the beginning of February, Nottingham Forest haven’t managed a single point in their last three fixtures. Steve Cooper’s team start the day in the drop zone - level with Everton - though an unlikely three points could see them go as high as 16th; a real sign of the close nature of the relegation battle this season.

Liverpool have no time to waste if they wish to make next season’s Champions League, with nine points separating Jurgen Klopp’s side in eighth from Newcastle in fourth. A 6-1 thrashing of Leeds last time out ended a four-match winless run in the Premier League, and should give the Reds a boost of confidence as they head into their final eight fixtures.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest!

Liverpool v Nottingham Forest Live Commentary, 22/04/2023

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