7M - Nottingham Forest Manager Makes Claim About Liverpool's Use of Long Balls and Admins Two Reds Players Are 'Difficult to Oppose'

Vitor Pereira reflected on Nottingham Forest’s narrow defeat to Liverpool and admitted: "It was very unjust."

The Reds secured a 1-0 victory in a smash-and-grab affair at the City Ground. The visitors were far from their finest, particularly during the opening half, but a goal from Alexis Mac Allister in the 97th minute—arriving eight minutes after having an effort disallowed for handball—enabled Liverpool to draw level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification.

Pereira, taking charge of his inaugural Premier League match as Forest head coach, was impressed by his team's display and suggested that the hosts forced Liverpool to resort to long passes. However, a minor tactical nuance allowed the Reds to leave with all three points.

Pereira said: "Disappointed. Disappointed inside. Angry with football. Now it's about maintaining this mindset and coming back stronger, with confidence to tackle what lies ahead.

"In the first half, we performed as we did in Istanbul, but we failed to convert the opportunities we created. We had two good chances to score but couldn't take them. Yet we didn't concede anything to them, didn't give up space, applied strong pressure, and kept our defensive block compact. They had to play outside the block or go over it with long balls and compete for second balls. That tells me, in my view, the first half was only missing goals.

"It was, I believe, a flawless first half against a major, elite team. In the second half, we had played just three days earlier and didn't get proper rest. Four hours of travel isn't easy. But when we dropped into a low block, they had more possession—though it was outside our box, not creating significant scoring chances. In the end, we conceded from a throw-in due to a small tactical detail. If we aim to cover the far post, we need to adjust our defensive line properly to manage that situation and prevent a goal.

"But that's football, and you can't fix everything in a short time. They scored a goal that, to me, felt deeply unfair—but that's the nature of the game."

Although Forest dominated the opening 45 minutes, they generated few clear-cut scoring opportunities. Callum Hudson-Odoi had an effort saved within the first three minutes, but after that, Forest posed little threat.

The City Ground side is currently without striker Chris Wood, who netted 20 Premier League goals last season. Igor Jesus has been required to step in during Wood's absence—and Pereira acknowledged that Liverpool's central defensive duo, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, made it "tough" for Igor.

"They have different qualities, very different attributes. In my opinion, Igor delivered a fantastic performance in Istanbul, but [Sunday] was challenging for him because he was up against two centre-backs who are difficult to face. He is a very good player and he will score goals."