The scoreline shows another defeat, but those stats don’t tell you everything. There is more to it than that. Much more.
This could be a turning point for Nottingham Forest. It could be the momentum-changer they’ve been searching for, even if it came with them dropping down a place in the table.
Far from being stalked by fear as the final whistle brought an 11th match without a win and a fourth straight loss, the Reds have renewed hope. The mood was one of positivity, unity and warrior-like defiance as Steve Cooper and his players applauded the travelling supporters.
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Forest didn’t leave Anfield with any points; some terrible defending saw to that as they fell 3-2. But they did come away with something potentially just as valuable for the fight ahead - belief.
Belief that they are capable of picking up results, at home and on the road, in their final six games. And, more importantly, belief that they can get out of trouble.
Spirited display
There was no shortage of passion, fighting spirit and bravery on show against Liverpool. In that sense, it was everything you’d want from a team in a dog-fight.
Too often away from home this season, it has been game over once the Reds have conceded for the first time. There was not a bit of that on this occasion.
Heads didn’t drop, instead players dug in. They didn’t give up, roared on by a cacophony of noise from the away end.
Twice they came from behind to equalise, clawing their way back into it. They came close to doing it for a third time. For a side which has been suffering from travel sickness and had managed just five away goals prior to Saturday, it was a vast improvement. It provides a huge positive to build on.
Forest are going to need those same qualities every time they take to the pitch between now and May 28. They didn’t look like a side brow-beaten by a dismal run.
And they remain very much in with a chance of staying up. They may have fallen to 19th place, but Leicester City, in 17th, are just one point above them. The gap to 16th-placed Leeds United is just two points.
It all points to a crucial game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday night. But Cooper’s men can now go into it with optimism that the tide can be turned.
Set-piece misery
For all their hard work on Merseyside, the visitors were undone by some woeful defending. Individual errors have been the story of recent games, and it was basic stuff which let the Reds down again.
Liverpool’s set-pieces caused them problems all afternoon. Forest did an excellent job of limiting their opponents to few chances in open play, but fell short of doing the simple things right when they needed to - and that cost them.
That the goals were completely avoidable only added to Cooper’s frustration. Likewise the timing of them, with the visitors quickly being caught cold after the restart and then, twice, a few minutes after finding the net themselves.
"At any time of the season, to get something from Anfield you have to do everything absolutely right,” Cooper said. “What we didn't do right was the set-pieces. We have to use the frustration and the disappointment of conceding the set-pieces and ultimately the result into motivation for Wednesday, because we're in the week we're in.”
Selection decision
Fired up against his former club, Neco Williams put in his best performance since his summer move to the City Ground. He deservedly capped it off with a goal. He didn’t want to celebrate back at the ground where he had spent so many years, but he did get a kiss from teammate Morgan Gibbs-White.
After a quiet few games, the latter was more like his usual self at Anfield, too. He set up Williams by finding him in space on the right, then scored himself with a brilliant first-time effort.
Cooper had made a bold call by leaving top scorer Brennan Johnson out of the starting XI. But the game-plan he had devised and the formation the visitors used was an effective one. It worked.
Williams looks much more comfortable as a wing-back. To keep him in that role while also solving the issue Forest had in midfield against Manchester United - when they were overrun in the centre of the pitch due to lack of numbers - it meant sacrificing a man in attack. It is a dilemma the head coach will have again for Wednesday night.
The Reds are better for having Taiwo Awoniyi as a focal point, and he caused Liverpool plenty of problems. Johnson then came on and almost made a difference from off the bench, hitting the bar. Ensuring his team have sufficient attacking threat to beat Brighton while not leaving themselves vulnerable elsewhere is the balance Cooper must strike in midweek.
Touch of class
Anfield rose to salute the gesture from Forest supporters as they unfurled a banner at 3.06pm - the time the original FA Cup semi-final between the two sides was stopped in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. The banner read “Respect the 97” and “Solidarity with Survivors, No to Tragedy Chanting”.
The touching tribute received a standing ovation from the Liverpool crowd. Cooper also stood up to join in.
It was an emotional moment, with the banner perfectly phrased. And a touch of class from the away fans, who were magnificent all afternoon.
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