The intensity of the game peaked in the second half’s extra time, specifically in the last 36 seconds of the initial eight minutes. Chaos erupted as Darwin Núñez, who came in at the 60-minute mark, vigorously rose to connect with Alexis Mac Allister’s skillfully placed cross. With just enough force, Núñez directed a header into the goal, securing a valuable victory for Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League title. Jürgen Klopp was swarmed by Adrián and the other substitutes as they flooded onto the field to celebrate.
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For Nottingham Forest, who earned a crucial point in their struggle to avoid relegation, it was a demoralizing conclusion to a chaotic finish. As the game went on, tensions escalated and referee Paul Tierney was met with a chorus of boos from disgruntled home supporters as he left the field after issuing a red card to Steven Reid, Forest’s first-team coach. Following the final whistle, owner Evangelos Marinakis joined the group of shocked onlookers on the sidelines.
For a while, it seemed like Klopp’s long departure from Liverpool would result in this being one of the few places where he couldn’t find success. The Forest captain, Ryan Yates, who was crouched on all fours at the end of the game, made an incredible block to stop Núñez in the 90th minute, and Matz Sels did a fantastic job preventing Murillo’s clearance from going in at the corner in the 95th minute. With Manchester City not playing until Sunday’s derby, Liverpool was able to extend their lead at the top of the standings late in the game, moving four points ahead. The last time Liverpool won in this stadium was in 1984, with Ian Rush and Ronnie Whelan both scoring.
As the players walked onto the field to the sound of Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” Klopp and Nuno Espírito Santo exchanged high-fives on the sideline. The grueling schedule, with both teams playing their seventh game in 27 days, suddenly seemed even more challenging. Just three days ago, they faced each other in the FA Cup, and six days ago, Liverpool lifted the Carabao Cup at Wembley. It was also peculiar to see Liverpool’s team bus backing into position at the City Ground, causing a stir of activity, for their third game of the season, a rare occurrence due to their Europa League success. The team has a first-leg match against Sparta Prague scheduled for Thursday.
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Jurgen Klopp made four substitutions to the team that won against Southampton and advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals earlier in the week. Ibrahima Konaté, Mac Allister, Andy Robertson, and Luis Díaz all returned to the starting lineup. Bobby Clark, who made his first start in a top-tier game, joined Joe Gomez and Mac Allister in a three-man midfield. There were a few familiar faces for Klopp in the opposing team, including Neco Williams, who spent 15 years with Liverpool, and Divock Origi, who is remembered fondly by Liverpool fans for his goals in the 2019 Champions League. Another former Liverpool player, Taiwo Awoniyi, came off the bench and scored the winning goal in the previous matchup between these two teams.
Williams and Origi worked together in the moments following the start of the game. Williams passed the ball to Origi, who was able to trick Liverpool’s captain, Virgil van Dijk, into giving away a corner. Origi played on the right side of the field and, after five minutes, he had the first shot of the game. He managed to get past Robertson and Gomez, but his shot went wide. He then set up Anthony Elanga for a chance on goal, but he was stopped by Caoimhin Kelleher. Elanga was able to outrun Van Dijk, but Kelleher was quick to save the shot with his left foot. Van Dijk and Konaté turned to the assistant referee, Richard West, hoping for an offside call, but it never came.
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Before that point, the most impressive attempt by Liverpool was a Díaz shot that ricocheted off the right foot of Forest defender Andrew Omobamidele and landed in the side netting. Omobamidele’s teammate at center-back, Murillo, also made an excellent block to stop Díaz from scoring from close range.
While Liverpool’s performance was not their best, it seemed as though Forest was expecting them to take control. Omobamidele managed to deflect a shot from Robertson away from the goal, with help from Nicolás Dominguez who intercepted Conor Bradley’s cross before it reached Díaz at the penalty spot. Núñez and Wataru Endo were substituted in. Núñez quickly showed off his skills, running down the left side, but Omobamidele kept pace and forced him to push the ball out of bounds. However, Núñez had the last word as he ultimately scored a goal.
Source: theguardian.com
