Nottm Forest 1-1 Liverpool (14 Jan 2025) Game Analysis

Substitute Diogo Jota’s second-half header earned Liverpool a hard-fought 1-1 draw with surprise title rivals Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, keeping the Premier League leaders six points clear at the top of the table.

High-flying Forest, who are enjoying a remarkable season having just avoided relegation last term, took the lead in an electric City Ground atmosphere through striker Chris Wood with eight minutes on the clock.

Liverpool, whose only league defeat this season ahead of their trip to the East Midlands came against Forest in September, looked set for another humiliation before Jota headed home a 66th-minute equalizer from a corner.

Jota and Mohamed Salah came close to securing Liverpool’s victory late on, but found home goalkeeper Matz Sels in inspired form. Instead, the draw secured Arne Slott’s team six points above second-placed Forest, who have played one game more.

“I couldn’t have asked for more,” Slot said. “The second half was excellent. Not many teams can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a second.

“It’s so, so hard for every team to create here. And at times it was one chance after another. That’s why it was so disappointing to go 1-0 down. I have to be happy with what we got.”

The match recalled the memories of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Forest regularly competed for the English top-flight title with Liverpool.

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This season, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side unexpectedly find themselves chasing the Merseysiders again, entering Tuesday’s clash on the back of seven straight wins in all competitions, without conceding a goal in the last five.

For the first time in a season since 1963, Forest were out to do a league double over Liverpool and Forest went ahead again as Wood continued his fine form with his 13th league goal of the campaign.

The visitors saw the entire ball, but did not do much with it. In the opening period alone, Liverpool enjoyed 70 percent possession, while failing to find the target for the entire half.

Forest continued to hold firm, with home supporters dreaming of being within touching distance of their famous opponents, only for Jota, 22 seconds after coming off the bench, to be left unmarked to level.

Three superb saves from Sels preserved a deserved point for Forest, who remain Liverpool’s closest title rivals. However, supporters who have seen their team keep the league leaders at bay for so long will see the draw as a missed opportunity.

“Tonight was a lesson for us because that’s how we want to compete,” Nuno said. “I’m very proud of how we played.

“Tonight there was a special atmosphere. I’m not looking at the league table at the moment, we have to keep going.”