Vitor Pereira, Manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at City Ground on February 22, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)placeholder image
Vitor Pereira, Manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at City Ground on February 22, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Vitor Pereira’s first Premier League game as Nottingham Forest head coach ended with a 1-0 loss to Liverpool
Vitor Pereira reflected on Nottingham Forest’s last-gasp lost to Liverpool and admitted: It was very unfair.
The Reds claimed a 1-0 smash-and-grab win at the City Ground. The visitors were well below their best, especially in the first half, but a 97th-minute Alexis Mac Allister goal - eight minutes after having an effort ruled out for handball - ensured Liverpool moved level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United in the battle for Champions League qualification.
Pereira, taking charge of his first Premier League game as Forest head coach, was impressed by his side’s performance and claimed that the home side forced the Reds to play long balls. But a small tactical detail meant that Liverpool were able to claim all three points.
Pereira said: “Frustrated. Frustrated inside. Angry with football. It is time to keep the mentality and come back stronger and with confidence to face the future.
“First half, we played the way we did in Istanbul but we didn’t score the chances we created. We created two good chances to score but we didn’t. But not conceding anything to them, not conceding spaces, doing very good pressure, the block was compact. They play outside the block or inside our block with long balls and second balls. It means that, in my opinion, the first half was just missing the goals.
“It was, in my opinion, a perfect first half against a big, top team. Second half, we played three days ago and didn’t rest properly. Four hours travelling is not easy. But in the low block, they play more with the ball but outside the block, not creating big chances to score. In the end, we lost the game in a throw-in that in a small, tactical detail. If we want to control the far post, it means that we have to adjust our line to control the situation and no goal.
But this is football and it’s not possible in a short time to correct everything. The score the goal that, for me, was very unfair but this is football.
Although Forest did dominate the opening 45 minutes, they did not create many goalscoring opportunities. Callum Hudson-Odoi had an effort saved in the opening three minutes but Forest were otherwise limited.
The City Ground side are missing striker Chris Wood, who scored 20 Premier League goals last season. Igor Jesus has been forced to deputise in Wood’s absence - and Pereria admitted Liverpool’s centre-back duo Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate made it ‘difficult’ for Igor.
“Different skills, very different skills. In my opinion, Igor played a fantastic game in Istanbul and [Sunday] was difficult for him because he faced two centre-backs, difficult centre-backs to face. He is a very good player and will score goals.
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