Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool: Late Mac Allister Goal Secures Vital Win

Liverpool clinched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on February 22, 2026, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Alexis Mac Allister in the 90+7th minute.[2][3][5]

The match kicked off at 9 AM ET, broadcast on NBCSN and Peacock, with Liverpool aiming to bolster their top-five Premier League push against a relegation-threatened Forest side.[1] Halftime arrived goalless, but Forest dominated early proceedings, firing seven of the game's first nine shots in the opening 26 minutes. Morgan Gibbs-White was pivotal for the hosts, earning a central free kick, while Callum Hudson-Odoi spurned a golden chance, evading Dominik Szoboszlai but denied by Alisson Becker's sharp save.[1]

Liverpool's display was lackluster, particularly in attack, with forwards like Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike struggling for influence. Goalkeeper Alisson was the standout, earning man-of-the-match honors with crucial stops, including an early big save that set the tone (rated 8/10).[1][4] Defenders Virgil van Dijk (8/10) and Ibrahima Konate (7/10) were solid, though the team lacked creativity amid an inexperienced bench featuring Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa.[1][4]

An injury concern emerged pre-kickoff as Florian Wirtz was substituted by Curtis Jones during warm-ups.[1] Manager Arne Slot (6/10) was criticized for a tentative first half but pushed forward later, introducing impactful subs like Ngumoha (7/10) and Robertson (7/10), whose vital clearance proved key.[4]

The decisive moment came deep in stoppage time: Mac Allister capitalized on a chance, his goal surviving a VAR check to spark wild celebrations and rescue three points after a poor overall showing.[2][3][5] Player ratings highlighted midfield anonymity for Ryan Gravenberch (5/10) and Kerkez (5/10), underscoring Liverpool's reliance on defensive resilience and late heroism.[4]

This gritty win keeps Liverpool's top-five hopes alive, despite Forest's spirited resistance.(Word count: 298)