NUNEZ IN THE NICK OF TIME
Last-gasp goal helps Liverpool beat Forest; Tottenham, Newcastle win
With 98 minutes played at the City Ground it seemed Liverpool were set to drop two crucial points in the Premier League title race but Darwin Nunez struck a last-gasp winner to secure a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
It was the 18th time Liverpool have scored a winner beyond 90 minutes in the Premier League since Jurgen Klopp took charge but few felt more important as the Reds maintained the relentless pressure at the top of the table.
Klopp’s side’s eighth win in nine league games left them on 63 points from 27 games, four points ahead of champions Manchester City who host Manchester United on Sunday and five ahead of Arsenal who play Sheffield United on Monday.
Fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 and keep the pressure on fourth-placed Aston Villa, who held off a spirited second-half comeback from Luton Town in Saturday’s late game to win 3-2.
Timo Werner struck the equaliser, his first goal for Tottenham, with Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min wrapping up the points for Ange Postecoglou’s side. Everton’s relief at having four points handed back to them
in midweek after they appealed against a 10-point sanction for breaking Premier League financial rules was soured as they went down 3-1 at home to West Ham United.
Chelsea fought back to earn a point against Brentford in a 2-2
draw after defender Axel Disasi headed an 83rd-minute equaliser in the West London derby.
Fulham and Newcastle United had 3-0 home wins against Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers re
spectively.
Nunez, who started on the bench after recovering from a thigh injury, kept Liverpool’s title destiny firmly in their own hands as he glanced in Alexis Mac Allister’s cross to spark wild scenes on the away bench and away end.
Relegation-threatened Forest had worked tirelessly to keep Liverpool at bay and were furious when the final whistle sounded with coach Steven Reid shown a red card.
Forest remained in 17th place and their despair was in stark contrast to Liverpool’s joy.
“Pretty special afternoon. It’s been a tricky schedule,” Klopp, whose injury-hit side won the League Cup final last weekend and who face Manchester City next week, said.
“This game didn’t go easy for us. We didn’t have a great rhythm and the boys felt the intensity for the first time. It’s pretty special what the boys did. To get to that points tally was a big fight. It never was easy.”
Luton were unable to make the most of Forest’s slip-up despite coming back from two goals down against Aston Villa, with substitute Lucas Digne grabbing an 88th-minute winner for a 3-2 win that keeps his fourth-placed side in the hunt for
This game didn’t go easy for us. We didn’t have a great rhythm and the boys felt the intensity for the first time. It’s pretty special what the boys did. JURGEN KLOPP
Champions League football next season.
Eberechi Eze marked his return from injury for Crystal Palace with a superb free kick to give his side the lead at Tottenham on the hour mark
But Werner, on loan from RB Leipzig, tucked in Brennan Johnstone’s pass in the 77th minute before Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min scored to hand Tottenham an important win.
They have 50 points from 26 games with Villa able to reach 55 from 27 if they beat Luton Town.
Striker Beto gave Everton the lead against West Ham but Kurt Zouma levelled and stoppage time goals by Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez lifted West Ham to seventh place and extended Everton’s winless run to 10 league games.