Liverpool kept their push for Champions League qualification alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over struggling Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Reds delivered a largely lacklustre performance but were rescued by a dramatic late goal from Alexis Mac Allister, which proved decisive at the City Ground.
Forest, under their fourth manager of the season, Vitor Pereira, appeared set to claim a valuable point in his first league game in charge. However, defensive lapses in the closing stages cost them dearly and left them hovering just two points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Mac Allister had earlier seen a goal ruled out after the ball was judged to have struck his arm when he charged down Ola Aina’s clearance. But Liverpool eventually found the breakthrough when the Argentine midfielder reacted quickest to sweep home a rebound after Virgil van Dijk’s header was saved.
The goal survived a lengthy VAR review despite Hugo Ekitike standing in an offside position, much to Pereira’s frustration on the touchline.
The win keeps Liverpool sixth in the table but level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, and within six points of Aston Villa. With English clubs performing strongly in Europe this season, a top-five finish is expected to be enough to secure Champions League football.
Liverpool were dealt a blow before kick-off when Florian Wirtz suffered an injury during the warm-up. The German’s creativity was sorely missed as the visitors struggled to generate attacking momentum for much of the contest.
Attention now turns to the north London derby, where Arsenal face Tottenham later on Sunday. Spurs are under new leadership, with interim boss Igor Tudor taking charge for the first time as he aims to steer them away from the drop zone.
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Arsenal, meanwhile, are feeling the pressure at the top of the table. A run of just two wins in seven league matches has allowed Manchester City to close the gap to two points in the title race.
Elsewhere, Fulham moved into the top half of the table with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Raul Jimenez scored twice, including a penalty, before Alex Iwobi sealed the win after Enzo Le Fee had briefly pulled one back for the hosts.
Crystal Palace also secured a much-needed 1-0 win over 10-man Wolves at Selhurst Park. Evann Guessand scored his first goal for the club in the 90th minute after Wolves had Ladislav Krejci sent off. Earlier, Tolu Arokodare saw his penalty saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson as the visitors missed the chance to move off the foot of the table.
