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In two games against Nottingham Forest this season, Arne Slot has seen his side score just one goal and pick up just one point. And yet, in the grand scheme of things, with his side still six points clear, things couldn’t be going much better.
It took a Diogo Jota header in the second half for Liverpool to draw level at the City Ground and then there were snapshots available. Mohamed Salah lifted a couple over the bar and Dominik Szoboszlai slammed a shot at Matz Sels from close range, but Liverpool never really created anything too clear-cut.
This, though, was against one of the Premier League’s best defenses, set up in a perfectly formed low block. If Nottingham Forest had decided to wear red and white stripes instead of its traditional all-red shirt, you could easily have squinted and mistook it for Atletico Madrid, desperately clinging to a narrow lead in a Champions League knockout tie.
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Next season, the way things are going, Nuno Espirito Santo could get the chance to do just that. His side looks on course for the top four spots, and even fifth place might be good enough to make UEFA’s top competition. That would be some campaign.
In terms of the Premier League title, though, while Arne Slot was keen not to talk Forest out of the conversation before kick-off, his team should have enough to extend its lead over the East Midlands outfit in the coming months. Liverpool’s main threat is Arsenal and by becoming the first team since mid-December to score against Nottingham Forest, the Reds showed why they should have a sufficient amount to remain ahead of Mikel Arteta’s men.
Quite simply, Arsenal doesn’t have the same level of attacking firepower as Liverpool — reliant on an exceptional defense and some superb set-piece deliveries. In contrast, the Reds have multiple threats.
Diogo Jota of Liverpool scores a goal to make it 1-1 during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on January 14, 2025. (Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jota, though he didn’t start, is very much one of them, stepping up when the three who started the match ahead of him were blunted. The Portugal striker does tend to pick up goals from nowhere, grabbing the headlines with a single, clinical touch. That is exactly what he pulled off here.
“I not only score goals, but I scored with my first touch today, which I felt gave the team a bit of momentum,” Jota said live on TNT Sports post-match. “I had one or two more chances, and I think I could have given us the three points. Unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
While he wants to be viewed as more of a team player than simply a goalscorer, though, that is what sets Liverpool apart at the top. Kai Havertz can often do it all except score, so doing the reverse is no bad trait.
Having played the same number of games, Liverpool has scored nine more goals than Arsenal. The Reds have found the back of the net at least seven more times than anyone else and the side that scores the most usually wins the title. Liverpool might not have won against Nottingham Forest, but it still showed why it remains a heavy title favorite.