Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool: Both sides spurn second-half chances as they search for opener

Nottingham, City Ground – February 22, 2026 – Nottingham Forest hosted Liverpool in a crucial Premier League clash on matchday 27, with the visitors aiming to avenge a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Anfield earlier in the season. Forest, sitting 17th with 27 points from 26 games (7 wins, 6 draws, 13 losses), desperately needed points to climb out of the relegation zone, while sixth-placed Liverpool (42 points from 26 games) sought to bolster their top-five push.[1][3][7][8]

At halftime, the score remained 0-0, with Nottingham Forest showing early dominance. They registered seven of the first nine shots in the opening 26 minutes, driven by midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who earned a yellow card and was heavily involved across the pitch. A central free kick chance went begging, but Forest created more threats, including Callum Hudson-Odoi's close-range effort saved by Alisson Becker after a run set up by Ibrahim Sangaré.[1][2]

Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, fielded a strong lineup featuring Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Hugo Ekitike (10 goals this season), but struggled with a thin bench lacking experience beyond players like Andy Robertson and Federico Chiesa. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega for Forest had surprisingly few touches early on, matching or exceeding some Liverpool attackers like Salah and Gakpo. An injury to Florian Wirtz during warm-ups saw Curtis Jones step in.[1][2][4]

Lineups:
Nottingham Forest: Stefan Ortega – Ola Aina, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Ibrahim Sangaré – Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi – Igor Jesus.[1]
Liverpool: Alisson – Milos Kerkez, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Dominik Szoboszlai – Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister – Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo – Hugo Ekitike.[1]

Both teams spurned chances in the second half, with Forest revitalized but unable to break the deadlock. Liverpool pressed late, but Alisson's saves and defensive resilience kept it level. The match highlighted Forest's unpredictability under their new manager and Liverpool's need to avoid a season sweep.[2][8] Final score updates pending as tension builds at the City Ground.

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