It was one of the season’s unlikelier top-of-the-table clashes, but Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool did not disappoint.
An enthralling, relentless and unapologetically raucous match ended all square, after Diogo Jota cancelled out Chris Wood’s first-half opener for Forest.
Here, we analyse the main talking points.
Where does this leave the title race?
Over the years, the Premier League has seen some enticing top-of-the-table clashes between Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, all of whom deploy attacking styles.
Forest this season have been a departure from that trend, focusing more on resolute defence and clinical football up front from limited possession.
Despite that again being the case tonight, this match had the edge and physicality of a clash between two of the three best teams in the country. Neither side looked afraid to push and shove when needed and both goals emerged from moments rather than from one team patiently working their way through the other.
Overall, a 1-1 draw keeps Liverpool’s six-point cushion ahead of Forest intact, even if their head coach Arne Slot will have reservations, as he did when his team lost the reverse fixture at Anfield 1-0 four months ago, despite an excellent second half.
For Forest, the point further strengthens their bid for an unexpected top-four finish, with Bournemouth doing them a favour by taking a point off Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight (and it was so nearly three), and reinforces the idea that they will continue to cause problems for the division’s big guns.
The focus now shifts to tomorrow’s north London derby. A home win for Arsenal against Spurs would take them two points clear of Forest and to within four of Liverpool.
Jota takes 25 seconds to make his point
It took 25 seconds and one touch for Jota to produce more quality than the rest of Liverpool’s attackers had combined for in the opening hour.
Entering the pitch alongside Kostas Tsimikas on 66 minutes, the pair combined for the equaliser immediately. The Greek left-back delivered the cross, and Portugal forward Jota was in perfect position to head home from two yards out.
It was the attacking impetus Liverpool had been lacking, as Slot’s chosen starting front three of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo failed to provide any spark against a well-drilled defence.
Jota completely changed the game and made the impact Liverpool desperately needed. He will be disappointed he didn’t walk off with the match ball as he was denied twice at point-blank range by goalkeeper Matz Sels.
His presence up front made a significant difference. Diaz, selected as the No 9, failed to trouble Forest’s centre-back pairing of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo.
After slowly being phased back in following a rib injury which kept him out for several months, Jota now looks fully fit and will be a key player for Slot as the pressure increases during the second half of the season.
UK viewers watch here:
The definition of instant impact 😤
Diogo Jota scores with his first touch of the game just 25 seconds after being subbed on ⏰
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vaEVR0hIGD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 14, 2025
U.S. viewers watch here:
DIOGO JOTA LEVELS IT FOR LIVERPOOL. GAME ON. 🍿
📺 USA Network | #NFOLIV pic.twitter.com/yAeT3BtHf0
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 14, 2025
Andy Jones
A goal which summed up Forest’s effectiveness
Forest are one of the Premier League’s most clinical teams and when Liverpool failed to trouble Sels with multiple wayward shots early on, you felt a goal for the home side was inevitable.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men seem to excel in creating chances out of the blue, particularly against opposition from Merseyside. Think back to a few weeks ago when a long pass and a one-two between Anthony Elanga and Wood led to their opener against Everton. That combination struck again here, this time with some help from Liverpool.
Callum Hudson-Odoi skipped past a weak challenge from Salah to race forward on one of Forest’s first forays into the attacking third.
Ibrahima Konate was hopelessly out of position and failed to stop his pass through the lines to Elanga, who was able to collect it on his stronger left foot after getting inside position on Andy Robertson.
Wood simply filled the gap Konate left in Liverpool’s defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold also not reacting in time. All Elanga had to do was slip his striker in…
… and Wood finished the job with a fantastic left-footed finish that nestled into the far corner with Alisson protecting the near-post.
Liverpool were wasteful with their chances for the rest of the first half, too, in addition to being foiled by a resolute defence. As the visitors desperately looked for a quick response, Forest settled into the shape that had also frustrated Liverpool at Anfield during their shock 1-0 win there in September.
The story was the same: Forest were composed and clinical — Liverpool were not.
How did Forest nullify Liverpool in the first half?
If Slot was hoping his side learnt their lessons from that 1-0 defeat by Forest in September, the message didn’t seem to get through.
There were no surprises to the approach deployed by Nuno’s side, but Liverpool fell into the same traps and failed to adjust. From the opening minutes, they were rushed and careless in possession. Their eagerness to put things right after the reverse fixture was best illustrated by the wayward shooting from distance that was more akin to a rugby game than a football match in the opening stages.
Forest’s goal on eight minutes didn’t help things and as Liverpool tried to probe, their decision-making repeatedly let them down. Diaz’s failure to play in Gakpo on a rare counter-attack summed up their struggles.
As they did when these teams met at Anfield four months ago, Forest were physical and harried their opponents, which also forced errors. Referee Chris Kavanagh was happy to let the game flow, much to Liverpool’s frustration. Coupled with the poor quality and lack of creativity, the Premier League leaders failed to find their rhythm.
Slot had spoken beforehand about the quality of the home side’s defensive unit but, in tonight’s first half at least, it seemed he had not learnt and it needed second-half changes to spark a revival.
Forest’s physicality was hard for Liverpool to match (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Andy Jones
Wood just keeps on scoring — but could he leave for free?
Wood has been one of the season’s fairy tale success stories.
He went into this game having scored against every club currently in the Premier League — with the exception of Liverpool. It took him only eight minutes to rectify that, with a goal that perfectly personified what has made him so precious to Forest this season.
Ask other players about the New Zealand international and they will talk about the simple efficiency of his play up front. He does not make anything complicated, whether it is a header, a close-range shot or a one-on-one. When Elanga slid him in down the left-hand channel, Wood kept his head to apply a composed, confident finish for his 13th goal of the season.
Chris Wood scores his 13th goal of the season (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
It seems strange, given Wood’s remarkable record this season, but he could in theory walk away from the City Ground for nothing in June as he is into the final months of his current contract. Forest are working hard to ensure the 33-year-old does not become one of the Premier League’s most sought-after free agents.
Talks have progressed in recent weeks over what is expected to be a new two-year deal, amid interest from Saudi Arabia and MLS.
Wood is a player who looks right at home at Forest and Nuno regards him as being one of the best strikers he has worked with. On this evidence, you can see why.
Paul Taylor
Sels’ superb night
There will be question marks over how Jota, one of the smaller players on the pitch, was allowed to head Liverpool level from a corner.
But this was still a night when, overall, the Forest defence were very much heroes rather than villains, and their resilient attitude was summed up perfectly through the defiance of goalkeeper Sels.
He made two outstanding saves from Jota, both from close-range shots which looked certain to be heading in, and then produced another to deny Salah, diving high to his right. When Liverpool pushed again, Salah thought he had finally scored, only to see Ola Aina make a goal-saving block on the line.
Matz Sels saves from Diogo Jota (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Then, when Gakpo angled in a powerful shot in stoppage time, Sels was equal to it again, getting down to push the ball around the post when the bodies in front of him and a slight deflection on the Dutchman’s strike might have been a distraction.
Forest’s defensive resolve, along with the brilliance of Wood at the other end, has been the sustained theme of their remarkable rise into the top four. And while he had able assistance from those in front of him, Sels was ultimately key in securing an impressive point against the league leaders.
Paul Taylor
What did Nuno say?
Nuno was more than satisfied with his side’s display and a result that keeps Forest on track for the Champions League places.
“It was a good game, entertaining,” he told TNT Sports, the game’s UK live broadcaster. “In the first half we were organised and didn’t allow too many situations, and in the second half it was like ping-pong. Liverpool become stronger when they get space, with the speed and talent they have, but I’m proud of how the players worked so hard.
“It’s amazing, we didn’t have the ball for so much time but the crowd kept supporting us. We had the feeling that they were giving an extra run to our players.”
On Sels, whose heroics were so decisive in preserving a point, Nuno added: “He’s in a good moment, full of confidence and he’s keeping us in the game. We’re very thankful.”
What did Slot say?
Liverpool’s head coach rued a sloppy first-half performance but was thrilled by the way his team, not for the first time this season, stepped up the intensity after the interval.
“I could not have asked for more,” Slot told TNT Sports. “Second half was outstanding. Their goalkeeper had to make a few incredible saves but their defenders also made some good blocks with quite a few chances. They blocked almost every shot.
“There are not many teams that can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. It is so, so hard for every team to create here (at Forest). And at times it was one chance after another, although sometimes it took a long time for the restart.”
On the substitution which swung the game in the second period, Slot added: “You need to be a bit lucky. We took Ibou (Konate) out, who is normally a big threat on set pieces, but we all know Jota can score a goal and Tsimikas has a good delivery.”
What’s next for Forest?
Sunday, January 19: Southampton (H), Premier League, 2pm GMT, 9am ET
What’s next for Liverpool?
Saturday, January 18: Brentford (A), Premier League, 3pm GMT, 10am ET
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(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
