The Quirk of Fate That Saw Sluggish Liverpool Beat Forest and Close in on Champions League Places

In a dramatic twist of fate, Liverpool secured a scarcely deserved 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on February 22, 2026, thanks to a 97th-minute winner from Alexis Mac Allister. The Reds, under Arne Slot, endured one of their poorest performances of the season, described by former captain Jamie Carragher as a "horror show" in the first half, yet snatched three vital points to level with Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for Champions League spots.[3][1]

The match began with setbacks for Liverpool: Florian Wirtz was injured during the warm-up and replaced by Curtis Jones, hampering their attack. Forest, in their first league game under new manager Vitor Pereira, dominated proceedings. Callum Hudson-Odoi spurned an early chance, denied by Alisson Becker, while Elliot Anderson missed further opportunities. Liverpool managed few threats, with their best moment in the 54th minute when Mohamed Salah headed to Jones, only for Forest keeper Stefan Ortega to block the shot.[1]

As stoppage time loomed, Mac Allister thought he had broken the deadlock in the second added minute, but VAR ruled it out for handball after the ball struck his elbow. Undeterred, he latched onto a rebound from a Joe Gomez throw-in, rifling home the winner deep into the nine minutes of added time. Video footage captured the chaos: a long throw, clearance off the line, and Mac Allister's clinical finish, with Van Dijk's involvement surviving offside checks.[2][4]

Post-match, Mac Allister admitted mixed emotions: "I love scoring, I love winning, but I don't think we played very well... We were the lucky ones."[1] Forest, despite the loss, showed promise in their relegation fight, lacking only a goal. Liverpool's resilience moved them closer to Europe's elite, a quirk of fine margins in a pedestrian affair.[3]

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