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Darwin Nunez's header was the 22nd Premier League goal contribution from a Liverpool substitute this seasonDarwin 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.
More to follow.
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Nottingham Forest
Squad number26Player nameSels
Squad number7Player nameN Williams
Squad number32Player nameOmobamidele
Squad number40Player nameMurillo
Squad number15Player nameToffolo
Squad number16Player nameDomínguez
Squad number22Player nameYates
Squad number27Player nameOrigi
Squad number10Player nameGibbs-White
Squad number14Player nameHudson-Odoi
Squad number21Player nameElanga
Squad number9Player nameAwoniyi
Squad number28Player nameDanilo
Liverpool
Squad number62Player nameKelleher- Squad number84Player nameBradley
- Squad number5Player nameKonaté
Squad number4Player namevan Dijk
Squad number26Player nameRobertson- Squad number10Player nameMac Allister
Squad number2Player nameGomez- Squad number42Player nameClark
- Squad number19Player nameElliott
- Squad number18Player nameGakpo
- Squad number7Player nameDíaz
- Squad number3Player nameEndo
- Squad number8Player nameSzoboszlai
- Squad number9Player nameNúñez
- Squad number21Player nameTsimikas
- Squad number76Player nameDanns
Line-ups
Nottm Forest
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26Sels
- 7N Williams
- 32Omobamidele
- 40Santiago Costa dos Santos
- 15Toffolo
- 16DomínguezSubstituted forDaniloat 79'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 22Yates
- 27OrigiSubstituted forAwoniyiat 65'minutes
- 10Gibbs-WhiteBooked at 90mins
- 14Hudson-Odoi
- 21Elanga
Substitutes
- 1Turner
- 6Sangaré
- 8Kouyaté
- 9Awoniyi
- 18Felipe
- 19Niakhaté
- 28Danilo
- 37Duarte Ribeiro
- 53Gardner
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 84BradleySubstituted forTsimikasat 84'minutes
- 5Konaté
- 4van Dijk
- 26RobertsonBooked at 59minsSubstituted forNúñezat 60'minutes
- 10Mac Allister
- 2Gomez
- 42ClarkSubstituted forEndoat 60'minutes
- 19ElliottSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 76'minutes
- 18GakpoSubstituted forDannsat 84'minutesBooked at 85mins
- 7Díaz
Substitutes
- 3Endo
- 8Szoboszlai
- 9Núñez
- 13Adrián
- 21Tsimikas
- 53McConnell
- 67Koumas
- 76Danns
- 78Quansah
Referee:Paul Tierney
Attendance:29,603
Live Text
Match ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Liverpool 1.
Felipe (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card.
Second Half ends, Nottingham Forest 0, Liverpool 1.
Goal! Nottingham Forest 0, Liverpool 1. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Harry Toffolo.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool).
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
Attempt blocked. Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Attempt missed. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) header from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Kostas Tsimikas with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Neco Williams.
Danilo (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danilo (Nottingham Forest).
Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Ibrahima Konaté.
Attempt blocked. Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool).
Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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