Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as Vitor Pereira's Reds beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in Premier League clash at the City Ground
22:11, 22 Feb 2026Updated 07:33, 23 Feb 2026
Nottingham Forest players applaud the City Ground crowd after their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest players applaud the City Ground crowd after their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool(Image: Getty)
What to make of Nottingham Forest’s sickener of a defeat to Liverpool? Perhaps Vitor Pereira’s reaction to the visitors’ 97th-minute winner summed it up best.
Arm flailing in frustration as he turned his back on the pitch, the visibly-fuming Portuguese ranted to himself as he marched toward his bench before slamming his palms on the top of the dugout. He was, he said afterwards, “angry with football”. Alexis Mac Allister’s goal had been a huge kick in the gut.
It was a daylight robbery on the banks of the Trent; a City Ground heist. Even Arne Slot admitted a draw would have been a fairer result given the polar opposite performances by the two teams.
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A point was the absolute least the Reds deserved. Instead, they were left completely floored at having nothing to show for an afternoon where they had dominated for long spells and had out-played the reigning Premier League champions.
So, did Sunday’s 1-0 loss present cause for optimism or reason to be fearful in Forest’s battle for survival? Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the big talking points from the match.
The big problem
It was always going to be a lot to ask for Pereira to solve the Reds’ goalscoring issues overnight, even if they had scored three in his first match in charge. Picking up from where they had left off in Thursday’s impressive Europa League triumph over Fenerbahce, the hosts played with energy and intensity, but this time they could not force a breakthrough.
In their last two league games, the Reds have managed a staggering 53 shots but have failed to score a single goal. Therein lies the crux of why they are struggling to pull away from trouble.
There was far more positivity about this performance than when Forest drew a blank against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Sean Dyche’s final game in charge. This one had a completely different feel about it.
Thirty-five efforts against Wolves and 18 against Liverpool without really testing the goalkeeper on either occasion tells its own story, though. According to Opta, only 7.1% of league shots attempted by Forest players this term have resulted in goals - the second-worst ratio in the division.
In the opening 45 minutes, the Reds were all over their opponents. Not since 2015 has a side managed as many shots in the first half of a league game against Liverpool as Pereira’s men did on Sunday. Forest had 12 efforts at goal before the break; the same number as Stoke City mustered 11 years ago - with the difference being the Potters were 5-0 up at half-time against the Merseyside outfit on that day.
Chris Wood’s absence continues to be sorely felt. Igor Jesus has plenty to offer and has been scoring in Europe, but domestically it is a different matter. Lorenzo Lucca did little to suggest he can be the solution when he came on. Somehow, Pereira needs to get this group firing.
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Squad depth
It didn’t need the arrival of a fourth head coach of the season to prove Forest have a very good first XI. The Reds had already demonstrated they can hold their own against anyone with their strongest line-up.
Where Pereira differs from predecessor Dyche is the adoption of a far more positive approach, and one that plays to players’ strengths. He has also stuck with deploying square pegs in square holes.
There is still a question mark over Forest’s strength in depth, however. Pereira went strong against Fenerbahce in Istanbul and named an unchanged line-up on Sunday, but he admitted the quick turnaround had been difficult for the group to cope with.
It would be impossible for the first-choice team to start every game between now and May. The challenge for the new man is to get more out of his fringe contingent.
Dilane Bakwa had a cameo appearance to forget at the weekend and Dan Ndoye didn’t exactly make his mark. Indeed, out wide is an area in need of some attention in general as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson sometimes lacked a bit of quality to make the most of good positions.
Positives to take
Having said all of that, there was a great deal to like about Sunday’s showing. As was the case in Turkey, Forest benefitted from a sense of freedom and being given a license to express themselves.
Players seem to have quickly taken on board Pereira’s ideas and have bought into what he wants to do. It involves pressing and pushing higher up the pitch, but without neglecting defensive duties. The right balance is there.
The Reds were so close to earning what would have been a valuable point. VAR had already ruled out one Mac Allister effort for handball, but the Liverpool man was not to be denied for a second time in the dying moments - even if Pereira conceded he had “some doubts” that the offside check had produced the correct decision. Switch off for a second in the top flight, though, and that can happen.
Still, the hosts should take a massive amount of confidence from this game. Added to their win over Fenerbahce, it suggests they are on the right track under Pereira. They also have a midfield partnership, in Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson (with Morgan Gibbs-White also playing his part), of the highest calibre. All three, but especially the superb Sangare, got through so much work on Sunday.
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The road ahead
For much of the game, it was difficult to tell which team was 17th in the table and which was the defending league champions. Forest didn’t look like a side fighting for survival.
They shouldn’t be too downhearted or dispirited over the end result. If anything, they should be hugely encouraged. Keep that standard of performance up and they can certainly pick up points.
This squad has plenty of quality and talent. The worry is whether it has sufficient attacking threat in it. Fail to make the most of chances or convert dominance into goals and you always run the risk of getting punished.
Depending on whether your glass is half full or half empty, Sunday’s game can be read in different ways. Reason for hope or cause for concern? Perhaps it is a mix of both, and that suggests the battle for survival could go right down to the wire.
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