Jota earns Liverpool 1-1 draw with Forest

Liverpool’s substitute Diogo Jota’s second-half header won a 1-1 draw with surprise Premier League championship contenders Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, keeping the leaders six points ahead.

Forest, who are having a great season after surviving relegation last season, took the lead through striker Chris Wood with eight minutes left. Liverpool, who had only lost one league game this season to Forest in September, looked to be heading for another loss until Jota headed home a 66th-minute corner kick.

Liverpool nearly won thanks to Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah, but Matz Sels was in top form. Instead, the draw put Arne Slot’s club six points ahead of Forest, who have played more.

“I could not have asked for more,” Slot remarked. Second half was great. Few teams can create so many chances against a quality defense. We couldn’t get another.

“Every team struggles to build here. Sometimes it was one chance after another. Thus, losing 1-0 was disappointing. I must be delighted with our result.”

The match brought back memories of Forest and Liverpool competing for the English top flight crown in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest team is unexpectedly running down Liverpool again this season, having won seven straight in all competitions without surrendering a goal in the last five.

Forest won the league double over Liverpool for the first time since 1963 as Wood scored his 13th league goal.

Visitors saw all the ball but did little with it. Liverpool had 70% possession in the first period but failed to score.

Forest held firm, with home fans hoping to get within touching distance of their legendary opponents, but Jota was left unmarked to level 22 seconds after coming off the bench with his first touch.

Three superb saves from Sels preserved a deserved point for Forest, who remain Liverpool’s closest title rivals. Forest fans will regard the draw as a squandered chance after seeing their team hold off the league leaders for so long.

“Tonight was a lesson for us, because this is how we want to compete,” he remarked. “I am very proud of how we played.

The mood tonight was fantastic. I don’t look at the league table at this stage, we have to keep going.”