LONDON: Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck a winner deep into stoppage time as his side snatched a scarcely deserved 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash on Sunday, boosting the Merseysiders’ hopes of Champions League football next season.
Liverpool, which lost forward Florian Wirtz to an injury in the warm-up, was poor throughout and toothless going forward, and the home side was not much better in its first league game under new boss Vitor Pereira, creating few chances across a drab 90 minutes.
Liverpool’s best chance in normal time came in the 54th minute when Mohamed Salah headed a deep cross back to Jones, but Forest keeper Stefan Ortega got a foot to his shot to avert the danger, and the home side looked to be headed for a draw in their first league game under new manager Vitor Perreira.
However, Mac Allister had other ideas and he thought he had given his side the lead in the second minute of stoppage time when the ball cannoned off him and into the net, but a VAR review showed the ball striking his elbow.
Undeterred, Mac Allister latched on to a rebound in the 97th minute and lashed it into the net.
Liverpool is sixth in the table on 45 points, level with Chelsea and Manchester United, who occupy fourth and fifth spots. Forest is 17th on 27 points, two above the relegation zone.
Nico O’Reilly scored two goals as Manchester City closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to just two points with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
O’Reilly bagged two goals in the first-half, either side of a deflected equaliser from Lewis Hall.
And City held firm in a tense second-half, showing steel and determination to seal a vital three points. Agencies
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