Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score a dramatic 99th-minute winner and send Liverpool four points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory at struggling Nottingham Forest.
As the game drifted past the eight added minutes announced by the fourth official, Nunez, playing his first game since suffering a muscle injury at Brentford on 17 February, found the bottom corner with a glancing header from Alexis Mac Allister’s cross.
It was Liverpool’s first league win at the City Ground since 1984 and ensures that they will be top of the table heading into next Sunday’s crucial match against champions Manchester City.
With the game goalless heading into the final seconds, and title rivals City and Arsenal still to play this weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s side faced the prospect of falling to third by Monday night before Nunez’s last-gasp intervention.
Defeat for Forest leaves them just four points above Luton Town in the final relegation place having played two games more and with the outcome of their financial breach case still to be decided.
Forest had the best chance of a forgettable first half when former Liverpool forward Divock Origi’s through ball sent Anthony Elanga clean through but the attacker was denied by the outstretched left leg of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Luis Diaz came closest for the visitors in the first 45 minutes as the ball ricocheted into his path but the Colombian’s stabbed effort was deflected over the bar.
Liverpool came close again soon after the break when the ball fell kindly for Andy Robertson in the box. However, his shot was kept out by the boot of home goalkeeper Matz Sels.
It was Forest who threatened next as Elanga’s first-time shot fizzed wide at the end of a flowing move and, while the away side pushed for a winner at the other end, clear chances were not forthcoming.
Sels did have to make a crucial save in stoppage time when Nunez’s header ricocheted goalwards off Murillo before Virgil van Dijk made a vital intervention to deny Morgan Gibbs-White from a Forest counter-attack.
Liverpool kept going though and were rewarded deep into stoppage time as Nunez expertly found the net.
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