Combat draw. Liverpool and Nottingham players' ratings by Dailysports
This season, Liverpool's only defeat came at the hands of Nottingham Forest. Nottingham Forest has emerged as the surprise leader of the season, and Nuno Espírito Santo, once written off after a stint in Saudi Arabia, is making a triumphant return to England.
Today, however, Forest had to settle for a hard-fought draw. Liverpool started the first half at a relaxed pace, making Nottingham Forest's goal well-deserved. However, the second half saw Liverpool turn up the intensity, pushing Forest to their limits. By the end of the match, the "Foresters" were visibly exhausted, barely able to hold their ground. It was only thanks to their goalkeeper's brilliance that they avoided conceding late.
Liverpool's best players:
- Ryan Gravenberch
Gravenberch began the game in his usual role as a defensive midfielder but was later forced to partner Virgil van Dijk as a second center-back. His role became crucial during Liverpool's corners, where he was often the only player left in defense. Any mistake on his part could have cost Liverpool the match.
- Diogo Jota
Jota and Tsimikas were substituted on in the 66th minute, and Jota immediately scored from Tsimikas's corner. Even this moment of magic alone would be enough to make them stand out, but Jota also revitalized Liverpool’s attack, recording four shots on goal, including Liverpool’s first shot on target in the 66th minute.
- Cody Gakpo
In addition to three shots on goal, Gakpo provided four excellent passes that deserved to be converted into goals. His xA (expected assists) stood at 0.52—a commendable figure.
Liverpool player ratings:
- Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7
- Alisson: 6
- Virgil van Dijk: 7
- Cody Gakpo: 7
- Ryan Gravenberch: 7
- Curtis Jones: 6
- Luis Díaz: 6
- Diogo Jota: 8
- Ibrahima Konaté: 6
- Alexis Mac Allister: 7
- Andy Robertson: 6
- Mohamed Salah: 7
- Dominik Szoboszlai: 7
- Kostas Tsimikas: 7
Nottingham Forest's best players:
- Matz Sels
The fact that the match ended in a draw is entirely thanks to Sels. Liverpool’s tempo in the second half completely drained Forest, leaving them unable to defend effectively. Sels had to save the day, making five outstanding saves—all in the second half.
- Murillo
Murillo recorded 25 defensive actions during the match—a workload we’ve never seen for a single player before. The second-highest tally belonged to Neco Williams, with 16.
What stood out most was Murillo’s presence not just in defense but also in midfield, where he intercepted passes and then sprinted back to block shots.
- Anthony Elanga
Elanga was the only player in Forest’s attack who looked confident and consistent. He delivered several excellent crosses into the box and provided a superb through ball to Chris Wood, who converted it into a goal.
- Honorable mention:
Neco Williams came close to stopping Salah. While Salah is almost unstoppable, Neco effectively disrupted him for most of the game, forcing the Egyptian to shine only in the closing stages when both Williams and Forest were visibly fatigued.
Nottingham Forest player ratings:
- Taiwo Awoniyi: (insufficient minutes played)
- Ola Aina: 7
- Ethan Anderson: 7
- Chris Wood: 7
- Morgan Gibbs-White: 6
- Nicolás Domínguez: 6
- Anthony Elanga: 7
- Ryan Yates: 6
- Nikola Milenković: (insufficient minutes played)
- Morato: (insufficient minutes played)
- Álvaro Moren: (insufficient minutes played)
- Murillo: 9
- Matz Sels: 8
- José Silva: 6
- Neco Williams: 7
- Callum Hudson-Odoi: 7
Luis Torres
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