Liverpool 3-2 Forest: Jota double helps overcome dodgy Nottingham Forest defense 

In a crazy second half, Liverpool finally took three points, with Diogo Jota’s brace and Mo Salah’s goal being enough despite poor defending.

Liverpool 3-2 Forest

Premier League (31)

Goals

Jota 47′ (Assistant: Fabinho)

Williams 51′

Jota 55′ (Assistant: Robertson)

Gibbs-White 67′

Salah 70′ (Assistant: Alexandre-Arnold)

Jurgen Klopp has named an unchanged squad for the third consecutive season, the first time since January 2020.

It meant a fifth consecutive start for Diogo Jones and a fourth for Curtis Jones. Thiago, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez were again left on the bench.

Liverpool saw plenty of ball early on but Forest’s deep defense meant it was difficult to get opponents out of open play. The top three chances in the first half hour all came from standard situations. Konaté started wide from Robertson’s free-kick, Van Dijk’s header from Trent’s free-kick was knocked down, then Gakpo’s attempt was cleared from a corner off the line.

Jota’s best chance came again from a free kick, but the Portuguese fired wide from three yards out.

Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Forest

No wonder, then, when the breakthrough came after another free-kick just two minutes into the second half.

Trent’s corner was finally neatly headed in on goal by Fabinho and Jota headed in from close range for his third goal of the week after a year-long drought – insert your own bus joke here!

The lead didn’t last long however, less than four minutes before Neco Williams’ shot was deflected by Robertson and somehow ended up in the top corner. It is worrying that the ex-Liverpool player had so much space on the Reds’ left side.

But four minutes later the lead was re-established, again by Jota! Robertson’s free kick found the number 20 completely unmarked and Jota had excellent control and finished in front of the Kop.

Three goals in eight minutes.

Klopp replaced Fabinho and Gakpo with Thiago and Nunez on the hour, now with a strong and fit squad to choose from.

Jota almost got his hat-trick when Trent’s big pass from deep saw him run and his header forced a save from Navas. Instead, it was Forest who equalized. Liverpool failed to clear a long throw and somehow Morgan Gibbs-White was completely unmarked 12 yards from the penalty spot. Shocking defence.

But again Liverpool regained the lead within three minutes – and again from a set piece. Salah headed Alexander-Arnold’s free kick into the goal well despite the pressure. Some of Liverpool’s defenses were quite shocking and Forest almost equalized when Brennan Johnson hit the bar.

Nunez had a chance to end the game but couldn’t get his head on target from four yards out.

The relegation-threatened guests continued to cause problems with long throws and Liverpool often caused their own problems at the back, but were able to defend themselves.

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexandre-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho (Thiago 60′), Henderson, Jones (Milner 81′); Salah, Jota (Diaz 81′), Gakpo (Nunez 60′)

Unused substitutes: Kelleher, Matip, Gomez, Tsimikas, Elliott

Forest: Navas; Felipe, McKenna, Niakhate; Williams, Danilo, Mangala, Freuler, Lodi; Gibbs White; Awoniyi

Subs: Hennessey, Worrall, Toffolo, Hammond, Lingard, Ayew, Surridge, Johnson, Dennis