The Nottingham Forest Vs Liverpool F.C. standings were impacted after the encounter at the City Ground on 22 February 2026 was one of the most dramatic and disputed matches of the Premier League season, as Alexis Mac Allister snatched a deeply controversial 1-0 win for Liverpool deep into stoppage time, a result that had pundits and supporters deeply divided.
Vitor Pereira’s first Premier League game in charge of Forest saw his side comprehensively outplay Arne Slot’s visitors, and former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher declared it one of the biggest robberies the Premier League had ever seen.
Liverpool, who had been without the injured Florian Wirtz since before kick-off, were a shadow of their usual selves, yet left Nottingham with all three points to move level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United in the top-four race.
The match was played in front of 30,737 supporters at the City Ground, with referee Anthony Taylor handling an increasingly febrile contest.
Nottingham Forest Vs Liverpool F.C. Standings: Forest Dominant Throughout
Forest flew out of the blocks under their new manager, pressing relentlessly and creating a succession of chances that Liverpool’s defence scrambled to clear.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was clean through in the opening 20 minutes but was denied by Alisson, who was eventually forced into making several key interventions to keep the scoreline level.
Elliot Anderson curled a fine effort just over, and Nikola Milenkovic flashed a header wide just after the restart as Forest’s dominance continued with no reward.
Liverpool’s first shot on target only arrived in the 54th minute, when Curtis Jones turned Mohamed Salah’s header goalwards and was denied by Stefan Ortega.
Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré was named Player of the Match for a performance of outstanding intensity and quality in central midfield.
The Controversial Conclusion
The match ignited dramatically late on when Mac Allister appeared to score in the 89th minute, only for VAR to rule the effort out for handball.
The decision enraged Liverpool but provided momentary relief for Forest, who seemed set to claim a deserved point.
However, in the 97th minute, Ola Aina’s clearance ricocheted off Mac Allister and fell back into the Forest area, and the Argentine midfielder reacted quickest to stab home from close range.
VAR reviewed the goal but this time found no reason to intervene, and Liverpool walked away with three points that their performance had barely merited.
Match Timeline
| Minute | Event | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| KO | Kick Off | ||
| 20′ | Save | Alisson denies Hudson-Odoi | Liverpool |
| HT | Half Time | 0-0 | |
| 54′ | First Liverpool shot on target | Jones | Liverpool |
| 61′ | Forest chance | Anderson curls wide | Forest |
| 66′ | Forest sub | Forest | |
| 77′ | Substitutions | Multiple changes | Both |
| 83′ | Late chance | Igor Jesus | Forest |
| 89′ | Goal chalked off (handball) | Mac Allister | Liverpool |
| 90+3′ | Forest chance | Forest | |
| 90+7′ | GOAL | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool |
| FT | Full Time | 0-1 Liverpool |
Match Commentary Highlights
| Minute | Commentary |
|---|---|
| Opening | Forest press high and immediately make life uncomfortable for Liverpool’s makeshift midfield without Wirtz. |
| 20′ | Hudson-Odoi races clean through and is denied by a superb Alisson save in what proves to be the game’s clearest opportunity. |
| 54′ | Liverpool register their first shot on target after 54 minutes of football. The visitors have been thoroughly outplayed. |
| 89′ | Mac Allister appears to give Liverpool the lead but VAR overturns for handball. Forest supporters erupt with relief. |
| 90+7′ | Aina’s clearance rebounds off Mac Allister and he reacts instinctively to poke home. Liverpool steal the points in extraordinary circumstances. |
Match Statistics
| Stat | Nottingham Forest | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 47.2% | 52.8% |
| Shots on Goal | 2 | 4 |
| Shot Attempts | 18 | 10 |
| Saves | 3 | 2 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 0 |
| Corner Kicks | 7 | 2 |
| Attendance | 30,737 | City Ground |
Lineups
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina; Sangaré, Anderson; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Igor Jesus. Subs used: Ndoye, Bakwa, Dominguez, Lucca.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Jones, Salah, Gakpo; Ekitike. Subs used: Ngumoha, Chiesa, Gomez, Robertson.
Premier League Standings At Time Of Match
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | +35 | 61 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | +31 | 56 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 27 | 15 | 6 | 6 | +10 | 51 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 27 | 13 | 6 | 8 | +7 | 45 |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | -14 | 27 |
The defeat left Forest two points above the relegation zone under Pereira, who nonetheless had reason for encouragement following an impressive performance that had ultimately been punished by fortune and a single moment of stoppage-time opportunism.
