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Slot Admits Liverpool Were "Lucky" After Inspired Double Substitution

Eoin Harrington
By Eoin Harrington Updated
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Liverpool survived a scare at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night to maintain their distance to this season's surprise challengers with a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

When the fixtures were released at the outset of the season, not many would have earmarked the January meeting of Nottingham Forest and Liverpool as a pivotal match in the Premier League title race.

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However, the hosts knew that victory on Tuesday night would put them just three points behind league leaders Liverpool, with Nuno Espirito Santo having led Forest to their best top-flight campaign in decades.

After just eight minutes, the home fans may have been allowing themselves to get even more carried away with their dreaming, with talisman Chris Wood firing them into an early lead with his 14th goal of the season.

For most of the first-half, it was Forest who dictated the play, and Liverpool struggled to break down their low block at the City Ground.

The game was to turn with an inspired double change from Liverpool boss Arne Slot in the second half. Just after the hour, Slot withdrew Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson for Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota.

With his first touch, Tsimikas delivered a corner which was headed in by Jota to draw the visitors level.

From then on, the game was played at a frenetic pace, and both sides created chances to snatch a winner.

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It was a thrilling contest at the City Ground and, post-match, Arne Slot reflected on his inspired double change.

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Nottingham Forest v Liverpool: Arne Slot reflects on inspired substitution

When Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas were brought on after 65 minutes on Tuesday night, Tsimikas was immediately dispatched to take a corner from the right wing.

As Tsimikas stood over the dead ball, the TNT Sports commentary team described his and Jota's introduction as a "gamble," with Slot removing the height of Ibrahima Konaté from set piece situations and changing the defensive structure. It was the quickest any such doubts have ever been dispelled, with Jota heading home Tsimikas' corner to rescue a draw for the league leaders.

Speaking to TNT post-match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted that the same doubts had plagued him when making the change, and that there was an element of luck to the result for his side.

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You need to be a little bit lucky with that. We took Ibou out, who is normally a big threat at set pieces.

But we all know Jota can score a goal, Kostas has a good set piece, so we brought them in to score a goal during the game or at the end of the game. But they did it immediately! Just 20 seconds.

Nottingham Forest put in an enormous defensive effort to hold out against a late wave of pressure from Liverpool, with Slot giving the hosts praise for their brick wall-like resilience.

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However, he would also land a subtle dig at Liverpool's bitter rivals Manchester United, suggesting that both United and Forest had planted 11 men behind the ball in his team's two most recent Premier League games.

There are not many teams that can create so many chances against a team that is defensively so strong. Unfortunately, we couldn't score the second.

It's so difficult, I said after the United game...every time you have the ball, you have to go past 11 players because the other team...when the goalkeeper has the ball they kick it long.

So, that's also their strength, but first you have to defend it, which is difficult enough with all these fast wingers. First, you have to win the second ball...then they just go back in low block with 11 players.

It's so hard for every team here, that's why I was so happy with the result and the performance.

He will certainly have been happier with the result than that from the return fixture, in which Forest inflicted the only defeat of the season thus far for Liverpool at Anfield.

Liverpool remain six points clear of Nottingham Forest in the Premier League table having played a game less. Arsenal could leapfrog Forest and go within four points of Slot's side with victory in Wednesday's North London derby.

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