New Delhi: The Liverpool and Nottingham Forest draw was perhaps the least expected to be the season’s tabletop clash and yet by no means was it disappointing. An exciting match which ultimately ended with Diogo Jota cancelling Chris Wood’s eighth-minute strike, keeping the score at 1-1. Until Jota’s strike, it looked like Liverpool were heading for their second loss of the season, having previously suffered it at Anfield of the Tricky Trees themselves.
For Arne Slot, being cheered for is not something new, having always been a fan favourite at his previous club in Feyenoord Rotterdam. The Reds coach has grown fond of Anfield as well, with Liverpool supporters being charmed by his team’s performance. Liverpool have so far turned everything they have touched to gold, and there is no reason the Liverpool supporters shouldn’t be so happy with their new coach.
However, Nottingham fans were obviously much less kind to Slot as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side didn’t let the title race gap increase at all, following Liverpool at second with six points still between them. At the City Ground, all one could hear was “Arne Slot, it’s happening again” soon after Wood’s strike. Of course, the Liverpool were going to fight back and it again was a reminder of the quality this squad has.
A surprise table-top clash of Premier League
Although, it is true that the title race is far from being over and there could be many new plot twists coming. Finishing 17th last season, just six points from the relegation zone, no one would have given Forest a chance to be title contenders this far into the season. This game may not have been important before but it surely became a title decider on the eve of the game.
Of course, there were flashes from very early even during Forest’s triumph at Anfield, with Slot himself admitting that this was a side that usually didn’t come in the top ten. Since then, Forest has gone from strength to strength as they now climb second in the points table. Over the years Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal’s table-top clashes have seen an attacking approach which is much different from Nottingham’s possession at the front and a strong defence-based game.
Had they won the game, the difference would have been just three points within Liverpool which depended obviously more on how the Reds’ players reacted at the back end of the game. For Liverpool, the start of the new year hasn’t gone their way. So far in the year, they have only one once across competitions, with their 4-0 win in the FA Cup coming against Accrington Stanley, a League Two team.
Since their win last year against an out-of-form West Ham last year, they have played a 2-2 stalemate with Manchester United and a 1-0 loss with Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the EPL semi-final. The draw against Nottingham may have shown that Liverpool needs to address the crisis that they are currently facing with their poor decisions and inconsistent finish.
They headed into the break without a single shot on target though after action resumed Liverpool were better. The breakthrough though came for Slot when he introduced players from the bench. Bringing Jota and Kostas Tsimikas for Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson was a crucial decision as the two were the ones involved in Liverpool’s goal.
65′ – Jota and Tsimikas are subbed on 🔁
66′ – Jota scores from a Tsimikas assist 🎯 pic.twitter.com/PytqxZ4gYV— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 14, 2025
After the equalizer, Slot’s men had a renewed confidence on display as they kept testing the Nottingham defence but were ultimately kept away from stealing all three points. Slot later admitted that this was the best result against a team who were this brilliant playing at their home.
Slot felt that his team was rather dominating, conceding just once against a team that was so brilliant at counter-attack. The League toppers don’t look invincibles and, in more recent times, shown their foibles on more than one occasion. However, they may just be safe from making a total hash of their results in the way they are playing.
Manchester City and Chelsea have also dropped points last night, and Arsenal will face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. They haven’t looked in their best form as injuries of Bukayao Saka and Gabriel Jesus have impacted the Gunners greatly. Forest are a big threat to every title contender as they have proved that they can take big teams head-on.
Next step for Liverpool and Arne Slot
Slot praised Nottingham and felt that they weren’t here based on luck and had made life hard for every team they have faced so far. Further, Slot noted that Forest had played some big teams at home and showed their character and can end at the top of the table even.
However, as Forest presses on the gap, it is for Liverpool to keep their heads in the right place and not lose the title that was theirs to take from the beginning. While they are not looking to have the firm grip on the title they may have had a few weeks ago, they need to keep their target in sight no matter what.
After playing a draw against Nottingham Forest, after being on the losing end for one hour of the match, Liverpool begin to show foibles in their bid for the Premier League title. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
