Liverpool Player Ratings: 3/10 for Curtis Jones as Arne Slot’s Side Scrape Past Nottingham Forest

Liverpool secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on February 22, 2026, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Alexis Mac Allister. Arne Slot's side, sitting 6th in the Premier League with 42 points from 26 games (12 wins, 6 draws, 8 losses), avenged an earlier 3-0 humiliation at Anfield against a Forest team languishing in 17th with 27 points (7-6-13), managed by new boss Vitor Pereira.[1][2][6][7]

The match was a scrappy affair, with Liverpool dominating possession but struggling to create clear chances against a resilient Forest defense. The second half was particularly dire, lacking quality until Mac Allister's late heroics clinched three vital points in the Champions League race, especially after Chelsea's slip against Burnley.[1][7]

Player Ratings

• Alisson (7/10): Solid distribution and a key save to deny Gibbs-White, though rarely tested.[6]
• Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10): Creative in attack but exposed defensively on counters.[2]
• Ibrahima Konaté (7/10): Dominant in the air, marshalling Forest's forwards effectively.
• Virgil van Dijk (8/10): Man of the Match – Towering presence, impeccable tackling, and led the backline flawlessly.
• Andrew Robertson (5/10): Struggled with pacey wingers, sloppy passing.
• Ryan Gravenberch (7/10): High rating (7.57), tireless midfield engine, broke up play superbly.[5]
• Alexis Mac Allister (9/10): Match-winner with a cool finish in stoppage time; composed throughout.[6][7]
• Curtis Jones (3/10): Worst on the pitch – Woeful performance; lost possession repeatedly, ineffective in attack, subbed off early amid fan frustration.
• Mohamed Salah (6/10): 6 assists this season but quiet here, wasteful finishing.[5]
• Florian Wirtz (6/10): Flashes of brilliance (45 chances created), but subdued.[5]
• Darwin Núñez (5/10): Isolated, missed a sitter.

Subs like Diogo Jota (6/10) added energy but couldn't spark earlier. Slot praised the resilience post-match, warning of Forest's unpredictability under Pereira, who debuted with a win over Fenerbahce.[1][8] Liverpool climb to 42 points, keeping CL hopes alive.[2][3]

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