Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest: Victory Masks Growing Concerns as Cracks Begin to Show

Liverpool claimed vital three points in their battle for Champions League qualification, as Alexis Mac Allister found the net in stoppage time to inflict a cruel 1–0 loss on Nottingham Forest.

The Merseyside club were well below their best for most of the match, and were lucky to reach the break without trailing. Forest, now under Vitor Pereira's guidance, gave them no opportunities, and it appeared the points would be split at the City Ground.

But a thrilling finale unfolded, with Mac Allister pouncing on a loose ball inside the Forest penalty area to score the decisive goal, after having a strange strike disallowed for handball moments before.

Liverpool's victory allowed them to take advantage of Chelsea's 1–1 stalemate with Burnley, and Arne Slot's team are now tied on points with the fourth-placed Blues.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Newcastle United's terrible run at the Etihad Stadium continued on Saturday evening, with Manchester City's 2–1 win extending the Magpies' winless streak to 21 Premier League matches at that venue.

Sunday's encounter marked Liverpool's ninth Premier League visit to the City Ground, and they had managed just one victory before Sunday's match.

It appears the Reds can only claim victory away to Nottingham Forest when they deliver 90 minutes of poor football before striking ruthlessly at the end. They achieved this during Jürgen Klopp's last campaign, with Darwin Núñez providing the late heroics on that occasion.

This time it was Mac Allister, whose display epitomized Liverpool's lethargy. Still, the Argentine, who was repositioned to an attacking midfield role in the second period, found himself perfectly placed to help the visitors claim the points.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—8.1: Despite the hosts' dominance, Alisson wasn't overly tested after dealing with Callum Hudson-Odoi's early attempt. Remained composed throughout.

RB: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.0: Slot again relied on Szoboszlai to inspire the Reds, with the Hungarian deployed in multiple positions to maximize his impact.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.8: It was a physical battle with Igor Thiago, but Konaté emerged victorious.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.2: Van Dijk had early difficulties and appeared uneasy when facing Morgan Gibbs-White in midfield. Improved significantly when protecting his penalty area.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.0: Liverpool might have better utilized Kerkez's intelligent movement in possession, with Kerkez sometimes succeeding in evading Forest's pressure. The fullback also defended reasonably well.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.4: Gravenberch never truly controlled the middle of the park, which was overseen by Ibrahim Sangaré and Elliot Anderson.

DM: Alexis Mac Allister—8.3: The Argentine experienced a dramatic final few minutes, seeing a goal disallowed before netting the winner that mattered. The midfielder endured a difficult match, but delivered the crucial moment.

RW: Mohamed Salah—6.6: Following an impressive performance last week, Salah found no joy against former colleague Neco Williams on Sunday.

AM: Curtis Jones—5.8: A last-minute addition to the starting lineup after Florian Wirtz sustained an injury during warm-up. However, Jones embodied Liverpool's early lethargy, and Slot chose to swap him with Szoboszlai halfway through the first period.

LW: Cody Gakpo—7.0: Once more, the Dutch winger drifted through the game without making a significant impact. Liverpool struggled down the left flank, and defenders are currently finding him easy to neutralize.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—7.1: This wasn't Ekitiké's finest performance, with his link-up play hampered by poor service. Should have found the net late with a close-range header before Mac Allister's disallowed goal.

SUB: Federico Chiesa (77' for Gakpo)—6.1: The Italian made little impact after coming on.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (77' for Salah)—6.5: Brought energy from the bench, and he surely deserves more playing time ahead of Gakpo going forward.

SUB: Joe Gomez (83' for Jones)—N/A

SUB: Andy Robertson (83' for Kerkez)—N/A

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Kieran Morrison, Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni.

What the Ratings Tell Us

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Statistics That Highlight Liverpool's Lucky Victory

The Statistics That Highlight Liverpool's Lucky Victory