Team
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai were the only players to retain their places in Liverpool’s starting XI from the Emirates FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley, with Ibrahima Konate among those to return.
Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate (Jota, 65), Diaz (Jones, 75), Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Gakpo, Robertson (Tsimikas, 65), Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold.
Unused subs: Kelleher, Endo, Chiesa, Elliott, Quansah, Bradley.
First half
With Forest content to sit back and soak up pressure, the visitors patiently probed in the early stages, with Ryan Gravenberch shooting over the crossbar following a one-two with Salah.
-But the hosts’ first counter-attack resulted in the opening goal eight minutes in. Callum Hudson-Odoi won the ball on halfway and quickly fed Anthony Elanga, who in turn slipped in Wood and the striker’s angled finish found the bottom corner.
The pattern of the game – Liverpool dominating possession but Forest allowing them to do so – had already been set before Wood’s strike and it continued throughout the first half.
Half-chances came and went for Slot’s team, who looked certain to equalise when Gakpo located Szoboszlai with a fine cross, only for former Red Neco Williams to somehow block the No.8’s header from point-blank range.
And the visitors failed to maximise their best opportunity of the first period when Luis Diaz, found by a raking Alexander-Arnold pass, was unable to play in Gakpo in a two-on-two situation.
