Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke after the 1-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest and admitted the result did not fully reflect the balance of the game.
The Dutchman, speaking to Sky Sports via BBC Sport, acknowledged that Alexis Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner arrived in a match where we spent long spells under pressure at the City Ground.
He said: “If you score in the last minute, there’s always an element of luck but so many times this season, we’ve experienced the opposite. A draw would have been a fairer result than a win for us.”
The late goal secured three crucial points in the race around the Champions League positions, but the performance itself told a different story.
Slot explains Liverpool first-half problems
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool struggled from the opening whistle, particularly after Florian Wirtz was injured in the warm-up and Curtis Jones had to come into the side, forcing a reshuffle that briefly saw Dominik Szoboszlai fill in at right-back before positions were adjusted.
Forest registered 12 first-half shots – the most any side has produced in a first half of a Premier League game against us since Stoke City in May 2015 – while we managed only two attempts and no shots on target.
Slot openly admitted his side could not cope with Forest’s midfield early on: “The first half was difficult because Forest played well and they have good players.
“I wanted more control over their midfield. I highlighted how well they played but we lost every ball.
“The only part of the game was defending inside the box. We had to defend a lot of set pieces. We stayed in the game.”
That description matched the eye test because Liverpool could not keep possession and repeatedly found ourselves pinned back defending crosses and second balls.
Second-half improvement and late drama
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
After the break the contest changed slightly, with Liverpool creating more pressure and attempting more shots early in the second half than across the entire first period.
Slot suggested fatigue may have helped: “We took over the game in the second half, maybe because they played on Thursday.
“We scored twice and I would not have been shocked if both goals were ruled out but maybe our luck is turning.”
The first Mac Allister effort was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review before the Argentine midfielder reacted quickest to Virgil van Dijk’s saved header minutes later to score the winner.
Slot also singled out 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha for his impact late in the match.
“The first goal was because of him. A great cross on the head of Hugo Ekitike, which you would expect to be a goal. It was a good one v one which is what this game needed.
“He already plays a big part for a 17-year-old. It tells you how a big of talent he is.”
With Mo Salah looking far from happy at being brought off the pitch, there will be some irony that the teenager caused havoc on the same wing the Egyptian had struggled to make any impact on.
The performance was disjointed and far from convincing, but the result moved us level on points with the sides around the Champions League race.
It was not a match we controlled, yet it was exactly the type of game that can shape a season.
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