Liverpool (A) 14/09/24

Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest

                                 Hudson-Odoi 72'

Liverpool away. A free hit you could call it. Going to Anfield expecting a loss and anything else is a bonus. But for some reason you can’t help but have that feeling inside you that we could pull off a result. Today that feeling was right all along. Our first win at Anfield in 55 years. Our first win at Anfield since 1969. For a whole generation, something they had never witnessed.

Forest and Liverpool had had an unbeaten start to the season. Forest with 2 draws and a win and Liverpool winning all 3 of their openers, yet to concede a goal. Forest’s last win against Liverpool came in their first Premier League season in 23 years when a goal from Taiwo Awoniyi saw the City Ground erupt. As for the teams, Forest made 4 changes from their draw to Wolves, giving Premier League debuts to James Ward-Prowse and Alex Moreno. Arne Slot named the same team for the third game in a row.

Liverpool got an early foothold, but Forest back 4 remained pretty untroubled, until the host’s first real chance of the game. Ryan Yates tried to see the ball out for a goal kick, but Luis Diaz raced after him and stole the ball back. The Forest captain though he’d been fouled but play continued as Liverpool’s number 7 broke into the box. He could only find the near post with his shot.

Matz Sels was called into action in his first save of the game. Alexis Macallister played the ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold who crossed from the left. The Argentinian was the one who met it with a header which Sels got down smartly to parry away. Just 2 minutes later, the Forest ‘keeper nearly had a moment to forget. Gravenberch lofted in a ball back post for Diaz but his header looked an easy catch for Sels. The ball slipped through his gloves but luckily hit his elbow before it could cross the line and he scrambled to pick it back up. It was nearly 1-0 to the hosts in the cruellest of ways but a resilient Forest had dug deep to go into the break goalless.

Liverpool created the first real chance of the second half as Mohammed Salah had a rare sighting of beating Moreno. The Egyptian looked for glory at the near post but Sels got down to palm it away. It was Forest’s turn to create a good opportunity off their infamous counterattack. Ward-Prowse intercepted a pass from Virgil Van Dijk and played it to Yates. He found substitute Callum Hudon-Odoi whose touch meant he could use his pace to get beyond Conor Bradley. He found Chris Wood on the edge of the ‘D’ who layed it off to Morgan Gibbs-White. The new England international could’ve shot but unselfishly found Anthony Elanga in a better position. Unfortunately, he could only blast over the bar in Forest’s best chance of the game so far.

It was through another counterattack that the visitors took the lead. Nikola Milenkovic was strong on the edge of hid own box to win the ball back off Darwin Nunez. He found Gibbs-White who flicked it out to Elanga on the right. He skipped away from Gravenberch before playing a lovely pass over to Hudson-Odoi on the other flank. He cut inside in his trademark position before unleashing a strike which hit the post and nestled into the bottom right corner to send the away end into limbs.

As the game began to grow nervy for all those Forest faithfuls, their side came close to doubling their lead. Following a ball launched forward from the back, Jota Silva jumped up high to beat Van Dijk in a header. His header flicked on for Elanga who unleashed a first time volley which Allison got down well to parry away. Just as the 90 minutes drew to a close, Van Dijk came close to finding an equaliser. Following a corner where Murillo blocked brilliantly from a Dominic Szoboszlai shot to send it behind, Van Dijk got up well just to send it whistling over the crossbar. Forest had managed to hold on and were shockingly taking all 3 points back home.

Yesterday, we saw a Nuno masterclass. We put out a more defensive side but it paid off. When we needed to be together and dig deep, we did so brilliantly shielding away any real Liverpool threat. Callum took his goal brilliantly but we could’ve scored even more if we were more clinical. Everyone pulled their weight but Moreno was a stand out to me, keeping Salah at bay all game which is a difficult task. 3 years ago, we were bottom of the championship and now we are going to finish the weekend in a European spot. COYR!

Forest: Sels; Moreno (Williams 81'), Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina; Ward-Prowse, Yates; Anderson (Elanga 61'), Gibbs-White (Jota Silva 81'), Dominguez (Hudson-Odoi 54'); Wood (Morato 81')

Liverpool: Allison; Alexander-Arnold, Konate (Jones 75'), Van Dijk, Robertson (Tsimikas 75'); Gravenberch, Macallister (Bradley 61'); Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz (Gakpo 61'); Jota (Nunez 61')