Mac Allister's Stoppage-Time Rescue Hides Liverpool's Toothless Display at Forest

Alexis Mac Allister prodded Liverpool to safety in the seventh minute of stoppage time at the City Ground, but don't let the scoreline fool you—this was graft over grace from the visitors.

The Argentine midfielder reacted sharpest to Virgil van Dijk's knockdown inside the six-yard box to finally breach Nottingham Forest's stubborn resistance. It proved to be the only goal that mattered in a match that Liverpool dominated territorially without ever threatening to run away with it.

The drama, however, had arrived just moments earlier. Mac Allister had thought he'd broken the deadlock in the 89th minute, only for VAR to intervene and rule the effort out for handball after the ball struck his elbow. For a side chasing European football, it looked like a cruel turn of the screw. Instead, redemption came calling.

Arne Slot didn't shy away from the uncomfortable truth in his post-match assessment. "It was fine margins," the Liverpool manager said. "We really struggled in the first half. We were the lucky ones scoring in the extra time."

He elaborated on a performance that required significant second-half adjustments. "The only part I liked was the defending in our box in the first half," Slot continued. "We showed a different Liverpool in the second half. We tried to bring fresh wingers in and that led to our first disallowed goal. Joe Gomez brought the long throw in."

For all their possession, Liverpool gifted the ball away with alarming regularity. Slot acknowledged the irony: "I have seen us defending poorer in our own box this season. That might be down to the quality of Forest. I am surprised by the league position they are in. We did not give away many big chances but we gave the ball away every time."

The manager also hinted at ongoing tactical tinkering. "I have to change my line-up constantly, not so late this time. Florian is in great shape and Curtis Jones played well last week against Brighton."

Mac Allister, despite his moment of glory, carried conflicted feelings into the post-match interviews. On the disallowed goal, he said: "It hit my back and my elbow. I understand the rule but if you understand football, that goal should have stood."

Yet his confidence never wavered. "I told Hugo it would be a goal and one or two minutes later, it was. I'm very glad it was me."

When asked about the performance itself, Mac Allister was equally candid about Liverpool's shortcomings. "The first half wasn't good at all; positioning, pressing, intensity. It was not our standard. The second half, I wouldn't say it was good but it was better."

He acknowledged Forest's threat, particularly from set pieces. "We knew it would be a tough game because they are good at set pieces and they have really good players. It's always tough to come here."

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mac Allister summed up the peculiar nature of the evening: "Mixed feelings to be honest. I love scoring, I love winning, so in that sense I think it's a really good day. But on the other hand, I don't think we played very well. There's plenty of things we need to improve, but it's always nicer when you win."

On the VAR decision itself, Mac Allister struck a pragmatic note. "I don't think it feels nice in the moment but it is what it is. VAR is a good tool if you look at the mistakes the referees used to make. We need to waste these seconds or minutes because it's best for football."

Liverpool's path to three points proved to be one of persistence rather than pizzazz. The victory, however unconvincing, keeps their Champions League qualification push on track.