Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool: Live Match Summary

Nottingham Forest hosted Liverpool at the City Ground on Sunday, February 22, 2026, in a crucial Premier League clash. Liverpool, sitting 6th with 42 points from 26 games (12 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses), aimed to climb into the top five, just two points off the pace, while Forest languished in 17th with 27 points (7-6-13), fighting relegation.[1][4][5]

The match kicked off at 2:00 PM UTC (9:00 AM ET), broadcast on NBCSN and streamed on Peacock. Early reports indicated a 0-0 halftime score, with Liverpool struggling despite their higher standing. Forest's defense held firm, limiting Liverpool's attacks, as goalkeeper Stefan Ortega recorded minimal touches—only 18, matching or exceeding those of key forwards like Salah, Gakpo, and others.[1]

Team News and Lineups

• Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega; Sang, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Igor, Jesus, Vukic, others (strongest lineup post-Istanbul).[1]
• Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Mac Allister; Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike, Salah.[1]

Liverpool's bench lacked depth beyond Robertson, Gomez, and Chiesa, adding pressure. Top scorers included Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White (6 goals) and Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike (10 goals).[1][3][4]

Form and Context

Arne Slot's Liverpool sought consecutive wins after a 1-0 victory over Sunderland (Feb 11) but had drawn four straight league games earlier in 2026. Forest hoped for a "new manager bounce" amid struggles, with recent H2H favoring Liverpool (4 wins to Forest's 3, 1 draw).[1][2][4]

Previews predicted a 0-2 Liverpool win, but betting odds favored the Reds slightly (-114) over Forest (+284), with over/under at 2.5 goals. Liverpool aimed to avoid a season sweep by Forest, who had wins in prior encounters.[1][3]

Live updates promised goals, cards, and stats via apps like FotMob, with full highlights available post-match.[2][8]

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