Arne Slot said he could not have asked for anything more from his Liverpool players after they rallied from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. (More Football News)
Forest entered Tuesday's game as the🐓 only team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League under Slot, and they threatened to complete a memorable double when Chris Wood put them ahead.
Liv꧑erp🐟ool failed to register a single shot on target before half-time, but Slot's decision to introduce Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas after 66 minutes changed the game.
They combined for the equaliser within 22 seconds of the change being ma🏅de, Jota nodding♋ Tsimikas' corner home for the fastest Premier League goal by a Liverpool substitute on record (since 2006-07).
Asked about the decisive🅘 double substitution after the game, Slot told TNT Sports: "You need to be a bit lucky with that.
"We took🍸 Ibrahima [Konate] out at that moment, who is normally a big threat on set-pieces, but we all know Jota can score a goal and Tsimikas has a good delivery.
"We brought them in to s🌟core a 𝔍goal, but they really did it after 20 seconds!"
Liverpool have ga💛ined the most points from losing positions in the Premier League this season (14), having markedly improved after half-time.
They had ♔14 shots totalling 1.48 expected goals (xG) in the second halfဣ, compared to nine worth 0.47 xG in the opening period, with Jota having more shots on target than any other Liverpool player (three) despite his late introduction.
Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels made three s✨tunning saves late on to keep the league leaders at bay, and Slot does not think Liverpool's second-half showin☂g could have been any better.
"Their goalkeeper had to make a few incredible saves, but their defenders also made some good blocks with quit🔯e a few 🏅chances. They blocked almost every shot," Slot continued.
"I could not have asked for more. T✱he s♓econd half was outstanding.
"There are🐟 not many teams that can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a second.
"When the goalkee🌳per has it they go long, which you have to defend firstly, which we did. Then you have to win the second ball.
"If you win that, then they go🐽 back in a low block with 11 players around the 18-yard box.
"It is so, so hard for every team to create here. At times, it was one chance after another, although sometimes it took a ඣlong time for the restart."
Liverpool remain six points clear of second-placed Nottingham For♑est with a game in hand, though their lead at the summit could be cut to four poin🍨ts when Arsenal face Tottenham on Wednesday.
