News

Carnage would be an understatement to describe the closing moments of Liverpool’s victory at the City Ground, but it would not be over the top to call the win a heist – one that puts Arne Slot’s side firmly in the Champions League hunt.

The fact that Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira said he was “angry with football” summed it up. Forest did not deserve to lose.

For large parts of the afternoon, the home fans chanted “In your head, Arne, Arne, Arne” to the tune of Zombie by The Cranberries as Pereira’s side dominated the defending champions.

Before today, Slot had failed to beat Forest in any of his previous three attempts as Liverpool boss.

Yet as the Liverpool players made their way to the away end after snatching a remarkable victory through Alexis Mac Allister, the same chant came from the travelling support, who could hardly believe their luck.

Liverpool were dull for most parts but deserve praise for their resilience and the importance of Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner cannot be underestimated in the sense that it took Liverpool level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, in fourth and fifth.

“It’s one of the biggest robberies I’ve seen in the Premier League this season,” said Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports.

For Slot, who has regularly insisted that Liverpool have been unfortunate on many an occasion this season, there was an admittance that his side had finally got the rub of the green.

“My emotions were emotions of happiness and relief because this is the first time I have to do a different post match press conference,” said Slot.

“We did not play a good game. We have been on the wrong side of the score after a good performance too many times.

“We got more than we deserved. A draw would have been a fair result,” he added. “We needed to be on the right side of things once in a while. It felt we have been lucky”.

And credit is due to Mac Allister too, who found himself in the right place at the right time on two instances late on.

The first was his disallowed goal that came after Stefan Ortega had made a great save to deny Hugo Ekitike. As Ola Aina tried to clear the ball, it hit Mac Allister and flew into the net. But what would have been a fortuitous goal was chalked off because the ball was deemed to have hit his elbow, which was tight to his body.

“It hit my back and my elbow. I understand the rule but if you understand football, that goal should have stood,” Mac Allister told BBC Sport.

For Liverpool, the journey back to Merseyside will be sweet. There really is nothing like a late winner, particularly in extra time of extra time as Slot stated, but the Dutchman will know that his team must improve.

Mohamed Salah had an off day and though he has upped his workrate off the ball since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, he has now gone nine Premier League games without a goal.

Against Forest he was replaced by Rio Ngumoha, who put in the cross that led to Mac Allister’s disallowed goal, and once again showed exactly why he’s so highly rated with an energetic performance.

“Ngumoha came on and had a bigger impact than Salah,” was the verdict of BBC pundit Pat Nevin on Radio 5 Live.

“He absolutely changed the game, this kid,” said Carragher.

Slot added: “He has incredible potential, otherwise, at 17 years of age, you don’t play as many minutes as he does in the Premier League, let alone at Liverpool.

“I don’t think there is any other 17-year-old who has played as many minutes in the Premier League.

“That tells you how much of a talent we think he is. He is making progress and that’s why you see him playing more and more.”

Ngumoha is yet to start a Premier League game for Liverpool but surely the wait won’t be long now.

“He gets stronger and stronger,” added Slot. “Apart from his moment when he had his one-v-one, there were also one or two other moments where he stood his ground.

“For him to show this already at 17 years of age, it says something about his talent.

“But as we all know, talent is only the start of his career, you need so many other things. Macca is a great example of mentality and that is something you need to have a career at this level.”

Liverpool certainly didn’t scintillate with their display in the Midlands but they showed the resilience of champions.

Donegal maintained their perfect record at the top of football’s Division One with a 1-20 to 0-19 win over Armagh at the Athletic Grounds.

Jim McGuinness’ side has won all four of their games while Armagh have now suffered their third defeat in a row and will be battling to retain their top tier status.

Monaghan remain without a point on the board as they fell to a 2-30 to 2-11 home defeat by Mayo and remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Tyrone’s lingering hopes of promotion in Division Two look all but over as they suffered a 1-15 to 0-13 defeat away to Louth. The Red Hands’ worry will now be at the bottom end of the table, where Cavan have moved within one point following their 0-16 to 0-13 win over Kildare to get off the mark.

Down continue to lead the way in Division Three as they powered to a 2-29 to 1-19 win away to Wexford to boost their promotion hopes, but Fermanagh now have a fight on their hands to avoid the drop as they fell to a 1-26 to 2-11 defeat by Westmeath.

Donegal played with the aid of the breeze in the first half and raced into an early 0-7 to 0-3 lead after 12 minutes thanks to a pair of two-pointers from Michael Langan.

Armagh hit back with four scores in a row to level the game, thanks to two points apiece from Oisin O’Neill and Cian McConville

Jason McGee got the visitors’ first score in over 10 minutes before Gavin Mulreany landed a two-point score to edge his side four in front.

O’Neill and Tiernan Kelly traded scores with Shane O’Donnell and Jason McGee as Donegal went in leading 0-13 to 0-9 at half-time.

At the start of the second half, Donegal’s patience in possession turned to gold as a sustained period on the ball deep in the Armagh half ended with Conor O’Donnell firing a rasping effort to the back of the Armagh net.

McCahill stretched the lead out to seven with a score before Kieran McGeeney’s men replied with Conaty, McQuillan and Crealey all on target.

It could have been even better for Armagh only for a brave save from Gavin Mulreany to deny Conaty a sure goal.

McGee and O’Donnell steadied the ship for Donegal before Darragh McMullan and Mulreany traded two-point scores leaving five between the sides entering the final 10 minutes.

There was four between the sides with three to play when Armagh were awarded a penalty after Jarly Og Burns was held up.

Monaghan suffered a fourth straight defeat as they fell to a heavy defeat by Mayo in Clones.

Gabriel Bannigan’s side were much improved on their visit to Dublin last weekend, but came up against a Mayo team with a point to prove after defeat to Donegal halted their momentum last time out.

The Farney men took an early lead but two-pointers from Jack Carney and Darragh Beirne quickly helped Mayo into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead.

Despite Ryan O’Donoghue’s penalty miss, from which he scored a point, Mayo established a 0-13 to 0-5 advantage and consecutive orange flags from Fergal Boland before the interval meant Monaghan trailed by 11 at half-time.

A haul of 1-1 from Jack McCarron at the beginning of the second period offered Monaghan a route back into the game, but Mayo quickly put the result beyond any doubt as Aidan O’Shea fired to the net.

Kobe McDonald, son of Ciaran, sprung from the bench to notch 1-4 including a two-pointer.

Sam Mulroy struck seven points in a dominant display as Louth earned a valuable five-point victory over Tyrone at Páirc Mhuire in Ardee.

With a gale-force wind at their backs in the opening half, Louth started strongly as Kieran McArdle opened the scoring before Ciaran Downey punished a loose Niall Morgan kick-out to rifle home a fifth-minute goal and hand the hosts early control.

The Red Hands responded through Darragh Canavan, who hit two quick points, and further efforts from Michael McKernan and Ciaran Daly, while Morgan converted a long-range free. However, Louth’s accuracy from distance proved decisive.

Conor Grimes converted a superb two-pointer and Mulroy followed with one of his own from play. Dara McDonnell also raised two white flags as the home side built a 1-8 to 0-8 half-time lead.

Louth continued to find scores in the second half as a slick passing move involving Downey and Ryan Burns allowed Grimes to add another point, stretching the margin.

Tyrone pressed hard in response but missed key chances with Darragh Canavan and McKernan off target and Ethan Jordan later striking the post.

Morgan and Canavan kept the visitors in touch from placed balls, while Seanie O’Donnell and substitute Darren McCurry narrowed the gap to two points entering the closing stages.

Paddy Lynch landed nine points as Cavan put their first points on the board in Division Two with a three-point win over Kildare in difficult conditions at Breffni Park.

Lynch hit the game’s first two-pointer and after Kildare drew level through Callum Bolton and Darragh Kirwan, the sides traded twice before the break to leave them level at 0-5 apiece.

Kildare began the second half with intent as James Harris edged them ahead and Ben Loakman followed with a two-point free.

With a battle on their hands, Cavan responded with Lynch leading the way as he nailed a two-point free before Oisin Brady levelled.

The teams traded again but Cavan found another gear as Dara McVeety (two), Lynch and substitute Gearoid McKiernan all found their range to open a four-point gap.

Loakman brought Kildare back with a pair of scores, but Lynch eased the home nerves with two fine scores.

Down registered their fourth win of the campaign with a 10-point victory in Wexford.

Despite the wind disadvantage and conceding six two-pointers in the first half in Wexford, Down held a 1-13 to 0-14 lead over the Yellowbellies at half-time.

An orange flag from Pat Havern on the hooter followed by a couple of scores from downtown courtesy of Odhran Murdock, nudged Down further in front.

Darragh Brooks struck his fourth two-pointer for Wexford but Havern kept Conor Laverty’s side ahead healthily.

Fermanagh succumbed to a fourth defeat of the season as they scored just two points in the second half in a 12-point defeat by Westmeath.

Seeking their first points of the campaign, Fermanagh opened up a seven-point lead by half-time in Mullingar.

Goals from Paul Breen and Aogan Kelm meant the Ernemen led 2-9 to 0-8 at the break.

Garvan Jones nailed three scores from beyond the arc in the first period but when Luke Loughlin fired to the net 20 minutes in the second half, Westmeath then held an eight-point advantage as the game flipped on its head.

Mark Doran got his first win as Antrim manager as his side got off the mark in Division Four with an eight-point win in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The Saffrons had lost their opening three games to end any realistic hopes of promotion, but they responded well in Leitrim to secure a morale-boosting win.

After Leitrim’s Mark Diffley hit an early two-pointer, Antrim’s Dominic McEnhill replied with a pair of his own before Conor Hand crashed home a 19th-minute goal for the Saffrons.

The Ulster side stretched out their lead with goalkeeper John McNabb getting in on the two-point action, but a goal from Letrim’s Paul Honeyman just before the break narrowed the Antrim advantage to eight.

Antrim kicked on after the break with McEnhill and McNabb prominent, but a hat-trick of two-pointers gave Letrim hope with just seven between them.