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Arne Slot did not hide behind the result. After Alexis Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner secured a dramatic 1-0 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest, the Liverpool head coach chose honesty over hype. Yes, there was joy. Yes, there was relief. But there was also a clear admission that his side were far from their best at the City Ground.
In a season where performances have often deserved more than the outcome delivered, this time Liverpool found themselves on the right side of fortune. And Slot knew it.
“We Got More Than We Deserved” – Slot’s Honest Assessment
Speaking after the final whistle, Slot was refreshingly direct about what he had witnessed.
“My emotions were emotions of happiness and relief.”
“This is probably the first time I have to do a different post-match press conference than I did throughout all these other games, because today we did not play a good game.”
It was not the type of performance Liverpool fans have grown used to this season. Especially in the first half, the Reds struggled for rhythm, lost possession too easily and were forced onto the back foot.
Slot did not sugarcoat it.
“The performance, especially in the first half, was not as we’ve had so many times this season.”
“A draw would have been a fairer result of this game than for us to win it.”
Yet despite the struggles, Liverpool stayed in the game. They defended their box with discipline and resilience, keeping Nottingham Forest from capitalising on their control.
“Although we were really poor, we did not concede a lot and we defended really well in our box.”
Sometimes that is the difference between dropping points and stealing them late.
VAR Drama and Emotional Swings in Stoppage Time
The closing moments at the City Ground were filled with tension. Liverpool thought they had won it once already. Hugo Ekitike missed a huge chance from a Rio Ngumoha cross, the ball broke kindly and ended up in the net, only for VAR to intervene and rule it out for handball by Mac Allister.
Slot described the moment perfectly.
“Since VAR is there, I always struggle to celebrate too much if I think, ‘There might be something going on.’ You never know if a ball has hit the body where it ended up.”
When the goal was disallowed, there was a sense that luck had deserted Liverpool again.
“Then my emotions were, ‘OK, still not everything that could have gone against us this season has happened yet. Still one more to go.’”
But minutes later, fortune shifted. Mac Allister found himself in the right place again, reacting to a parried effort and firing home from close range. Another VAR check followed. Another long wait. This time, the referee pointed to the centre circle.
Relief.
“Maybe fortune has changed two or three minutes later where again we thought we scored the winner, again they took a long time to check it, but this time the referee pointed at the kick-off – which meant that we won the game.”
Szoboszlai’s Composure in the Final Seconds
While Mac Allister grabbed the headlines, Slot reserved special praise for Dominik Szoboszlai’s role in the build-up. In what felt like the final seconds of the match, Szoboszlai had the presence of mind to stay calm rather than rush the delivery.
“You can see how much confidence he has at the moment and how well he has played this season.”
“It felt to me when I looked at the time that it was the last moment and to stay so cool in a moment where everyone, all the fans, were expecting the ball to come in and he was waiting, waiting, and in the end he brought it in.”
That patience created the angle for Virgil van Dijk to head the ball across goal, leading directly to Mac Allister’s winner.
“Well done by Virgil as well, to change the angle of attack to go to the second post.”
In tight Premier League games, small decisions often decide everything.
Half-Time Message: Energy and Belief
Slot’s half-time team talk was clear and direct. He told his players it was their worst first half of the season. But he also reminded them of what they were doing right.
“That it was the worst first half we’ve played. But we defended our box really well and that was the reason that we were still on 0-0.”
Forest had been strong, especially from set-pieces, but Liverpool had shown resilience in the areas that mattered most. Slot also challenged his players physically and mentally.
“They’ve played Thursday, a difficult away game, maybe they run out of energy and we for sure cannot have run out of energy yet.”
He pointed to a previous comeback performance as proof that this group could respond after a below-par first half. The second half showed improvement. More control. More composure. More belief.
Mac Allister’s Mentality Delivers at the Perfect Time
Interestingly, Slot admitted he was unaware that this was Mac Allister’s first Premier League goal of the season.
“Is it his first goal? Oh, I wasn’t aware of that.”
But what mattered more to him was the midfielder’s recent consistency.
“What he needed is what he showed in the last six, seven or eight games – a run of games where he’s getting back to his usual level.”
Slot believes Mac Allister’s form mirrors the team’s trajectory.
“I see much more consistency recently – not only in Macca’s performance but in the team performance and many individual performances.”
Scoring in the 97th minute under that pressure says everything about mentality.
“Macca was not a surprise to me that he was both times our goalscorer because he played with the mentality you need to play in these games.”
That mentality may prove decisive in the weeks ahead.
Rio Ngumoha: Talent Is Just the Beginning
Slot also spoke about 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who continues to impress with his maturity and minutes in the Premier League.
“He has incredible potential, otherwise at 17 years of age you don’t play as many minutes as he does in the Premier League, let alone at Liverpool.”
Slot pointed out that very few players of that age are trusted with such responsibility.
“He’s making progress more and more and that’s why lately you see him playing more.”
Still, Slot was clear that talent alone is not enough.
“Talent is only the start of a career and you need so many other things.”
He pointed to Mac Allister as the example. Mentality. Resilience. Consistency. Those are the foundations of a career at the top level.
A Win That Could Mean More Than Three Points
Liverpool may not have played their best football at Nottingham Forest. Slot admitted as much. A draw might have been the fairer result on balance. But football does not always reward fairness. This time, Liverpool were the ones celebrating in stoppage time.
“We needed this goal, we needed that win to be on the right side of things once in a while because we’ve been so, so unlucky this season.”
Sometimes seasons are defined by performances. Other times, they are defined by moments. At the City Ground, Alexis Mac Allister delivered one of those moments. And Arne Slot walked away with happiness, relief and three precious Premier League points.
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YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone)!
The Liverpool FC Times Team
LiverpoolFCTimes.com