Liverpool snatched a late dramatic win at the City Ground to keep their Champions League push on course, with Forest now two points above the drop zone
Leigh Curtis Derby County Writer
17:11, 22 Feb 2026
Stefan Ortega of Nottingham Forest saves from Liverpool's Curtis Jones at close range
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Stefan Ortega of Nottingham Forest saves from Liverpool's Curtis Jones at close range(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher felt Liverpool's win at Nottingham Forest was one of the "biggest robberies" of the season.
Alexis Mac Allister snatched a dramatic stoppage-time winner for Arne Slot's side just minutes after seeing a goal chalked off for handball by VAR.
Forest dominated the first half at the City Ground but couldn't make the most of some promising situations with Alisson Becker largely untroubled in goal.
In what was Vitor Pereira's first home game in charge, Forest's quality dipped after the break, but there was very little between the two teams.
Carragher said: "It's absolutely huge (for Liverpool). I mean, that's one of the biggest robberies I've seen in the Premier League this season.
"But what I will say is there was a player who came on for Liverpool, Rio Ngumoha, who came on in the 77th minute. He did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah had done up until that point.
"He absolutely changed the game, this kid, and he needs more of an opportunity. He needs to start starting games.
"Mac Allister gets the winner, but unfortunately, he didn't get the winner a few minutes before, but again, he was another player who really struggled in this game, and Liverpool do struggle physically.
"But that is for the summer in terms of what they do recruitment-wise and the makeup of this team. They couldn't cope with long periods of this game, but, as I said, I don't think there is anybody better in Premier League history than getting last-minute winners, and that is Liverpool."
Darren Bent felt that for all of Forest's work, the lack of cutting edge in the final third was costly.
"It's tough, but in the second half they just didn't offer enough," said Bent. I thought they played really well but never really tested Alisson.
"They never really had a real foothold in the game, and I thought Liverpool raised it in the second half, certainly, but as you said, there from Mac Allister, nice finish, middle of the six-yard box. If he's not there, you don't score.
Asked about Forest beating the drop, Carragher added: "What he (Pereira)has seen in the first two games will make him really, really confident that they've got more than enough to stay in this Premier League.
"He's a really good coach, got great experience, and he's got some wonderful players in that Nottingham Forest team.
"And as I said, if they perform anywhere near as they have done in his first two games, they'll have absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of staying in the Premier League.
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"They were absolutely fantastic, especially in that first half."