Liverpool were made to work for three points on Saturday afternoon, scoring three times in the second half to keep Steve Cooper's resilient Nottingham Forest side at bay.
The Reds took the lead shortly after the restart courtesy of a Diogo Jota header, but were ahead for only four minutes as former Liverpool right-back Neco Williams saw a deflected effort beat Alisson. Jota produced the goods again to put Jurgen Klopp's men back in front, though Forest rallied and made it 2-2 when Morgan Gibbs-White's volley found the bottom left corner.
Mohamed Salah capped off a drama-filled afternoon with a instinctive finish inside the penalty area, with Liverpool then forced to hold on for the final 20 minutes of the game as the visitors pushed for a late leveller at Anfield.
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This victory has ensured Liverpool's pursuit of European football goes on and was watched by members of the national media, along with our very own Paul Gorst, whose thoughts on proceedings can be found below.
'Naturally, Salah had the final word'
Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph wrote:
"Liverpool had superiority without full control in their latest victory, joining Forest in an exhibition of set-piece expertise in attack, and set-piece ineptitude at the back. Every corner and free-kick into the Forest penalty area was greeted like a hand grenade, resulting in all three of Liverpool’s strikes. Likewise, Moussa Niakhate’s long-throws evaded Liverpool’s radar, causing panic throughout a chaotic second half, the five goals coming in 23 minutes. There could have been many more.
"Naturally, Salah had the final word, swatting another Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick beyond Keylor Navas to go level with Fowler’s tally of 183 Liverpool goals. There is no doubt Salah will still be spearheading Klopp’s attack next season. Who will be alongside him on the opening day?"
'A glimpse of what Anfield could look forward to'
Paul Joyce of the Times wrote:
"The future is upon us, Jürgen Klopp had declared before this contest. The sight of Steven Gerrard’s son, Lio, taking a penalty in front of the Kop after his famous father had overseen a half-time shoot-out competition was perhaps a glimpse of what Anfield could look forward to in another time. Otherwise, this was an occasion anchored very much in the present.
"Liverpool made hard work of showcasing their superiority and owed much to Diogo Jota’s predatory powers kicking back in, as the striker took his tally for the week to four goals having previously gone a year without finding the net."
'It should have been a procession'
Dominic King of the Daily Mail wrote:
"This win keeps Liverpool in the hunt to qualify for the Europa League but Klopp will know better than anyone that if the standards of defending that were on show when Niakhate started hurling in bombs, they will find themselves on the outside looking in.
"The second half was riotously entertaining, one of those games you get at this time of year when convention goes out of the window. Neutrals would have loved the frenzy but the disbelieving scowls on the faces of Klopp and Cooper told you what the professionals thought.
"Jota started the goal-fest, arriving through a cluster of yellow shirts in the 47th minute to apply a headed finishing touch to a flick on from Fabinho after Trent Alexander-Arnold had fizzed in a corner. With an advantage and their tails up, it should have been a procession – it was anything but."
'Sprinkled with the same stardust'
Steve Bates of the Daily Mirror wrote:
"Mohamed Salah might not be in the running for Footballer of the Year but the goals keep coming. The Kop’s Egyptian King stole some of the limelight from two-goal Diogo Jota with a priceless winner to boost Jurgen Klopp’s fight for a Champions League place.
"Jota is a man on fire with his second double in six days after scoring a brace in the 6-1 mauling of Leeds, after previously going 372 days without a goal. But the timing of Salah’s winner in a topsy-turvy battle with Steve Cooper’s brave Forest was the perfect response to Forest making it 2-2 minutes earlier.
"It was also sprinkled with the same stardust that’s enabled him to draw level in sixth position with Anfield legend Robbie Fowler on 183 goals in the list of all time great Liverpool scorers. And the fact that Salah has done it in 71 fewer games than Fowler speaks volumes for the class and quality of the brilliant striker."
'How different might this season look had he been free of calf and hamstring woes?'
Paul Gorst of the ECHO wrote:
"How Klopp will have wished to be able to select a peak Jota at other junctures during this season, particularly throughout a horrible January when he was also without Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz. Defeats to Brighton, Brentford and Wolves might have been different stories had the 'lad from Portugal' been raring to go.
"His evident resurgence might yet have come too late in the day to salvage Champions League hopes but his clinically-taken double has at least helped to close the gap on fourth-place Newcastle to six points ahead of their visit from Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
"In a season where lazy punditry has led to suggestions that Sadio Mane has been a major miss at Liverpool, the truth is Klopp has been left to rue the absence of this version of Jota even more. How different might this season look had he been free of calf and hamstring woes?
"If Jota's first showcased his poacher's instinct, his second was top-quality as he took down Robertson's delivery into the box on his chest before striking past Navas with his left foot. "He's the lad from Portugal, better than Figo don't you know," roared the Kop as they dusted off the catchiest terrace ditty of last season. It's one that has unfortunately not been aired anywhere near as regularly this time out."
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