Nottingham Forest 1 Liverpool 1: tactical analysis

Nottingham Forest demonstrated why they are competing at the top end of the Premier League this season by holding leaders Liverpool at the City Ground. The result moved Forest at least temporarily up to second, six points behind their opponents here, albeit having played a game more. And both teams could legitimately claim to be disappointed with the draw – one that evoked memories of past Forest-Liverpool clashes that held title-race significance.

The game began in a pattern that by and large remained throughout, with Forest mostly content for Liverpool to have possession until they reached the final third. And the home side – plus their fans, already feverishly up for the evening’s events – were given a further shot in the arm on eight minutes. Forest won the ball and with two incisive passes sliced through Liverpool for Chris Wood to score his 13th Premier League goal of the season. It was the perfect start for the team in red, who had kept five consecutive clean sheets and were aiming for a seventh successive league win for the first time since 1922. 

They duly restricted the visitors to hopeful long-range shots for the rest of the first half. A double change from Arne Slot on 66 minutes reaped immediate dividends, however. Substitute Kostas Tsimikas swung in a corner with his first kick, from which fellow replacement Diogo Jota scored the equaliser with his first touch. Buoyed, and with Forest perhaps tiring from their defensive efforts, Liverpool created enough chances to win the game. That they did not take them was at least in part down to resolute defending from the battling hosts. 

Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed how the tactical battle played out at the City Ground…

How the managers saw it

“The first half was organised, we didn’t allow too many chances to Liverpool,” said Nuno Espírito Santo. “They had the possession but were not able to really break us. We knew in the second half they were going to react and there was a moment where the game was up and down, and that’s when Liverpool become dangerous with the speed and the talent. They create so many chances.”

“We conceded only one counter-attack here today in 98 minutes of football of total domination,” said Slot. “Unfortunately for us, that ball immediately went in. Then in the second half, our ball possession also led to a lot of chances. You have to give credit, again, to Nottingham because the way they defend, they throw themselves in front of shots, in front of every cross and then there is a goalkeeper that has an outstanding season this year and tonight again.”

Liverpool against the Forest block

In the early stages, Liverpool’s number eights widened from their initial 4-3-3 as the visitors attempted to break Nottingham Forest’s 4-2-3-1 low block. Forest’s pivots closely tracked these movements, and Ryan Gravenberch was tightly marked by Morgan Gibbs-White in the central spaces. Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo rotated on Liverpool’s left, while Luis Díaz initially dropped short, moving freely away from Forest’s centre-backs. Although central combinations found Díaz between the lines, Liverpool’s attacks often ended with shots from range, as Forest’s central defence held their ground around the edge of the penalty area (below).

Liverpool’s attacking patterns followed a similar path throughout the first half, with zero shots on target. Forest’s midfielders continued to diligently carry out their roles, with Gravenberch unable to conduct anything from his position as a single pivot, and Gibbs-White a continued nuisance. When Díaz did draw out a Forest centre-back, Liverpool needed runs around him, but only Gakpo came inside to threaten. When attacking down their left, at least one of Liverpool’s trio on the right could have moved more centrally to threaten on those occasions when a Forest centre-back engaged higher (below).

Forest’s counter-attacking

Nuno Espírito Santo’s game plan worked superbly in the first half. Without the ball Forest were solid and in possession they were forward-thinking, direct and connected with purpose from their 4-2-3-1. They competed well for long balls in the midfield areas, and on seven minutes they crucially drew Ibrahima Konaté out from his position in Liverpool’s back line. A quick combination from Callum Hudson-Odoi into the narrowing Anthony Elanga then broke the Liverpool midfield, with Wood spinning off in the space left vacant by Konaté (below). The Forest forward’s composed finish gave them the ideal start, with something for their low block to hold on to.

Although Forest did not add a second goal before the break, their longer play was well thought out. Elanga continued to move inside from wide right, ready to work off anything Wood could flick on or work into feet. Hudson-Odoi held his position on the left, but was ready to run in behind Trent Alexander-Arnold should play be worked to his side.

Meanwhile, Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates rotated in the central areas, especially during the first part of Forest’s longer build. This meant the more combative Yates could compete for second balls, while Gibbs-White was in an area with less pressure should Liverpool win the first contact. From there, he could find the adapted front pairing with his incisive passing (below), as Forest worked well off their long balls.

Second-half changes

After half-time both Konaté and Van Dijk began to step into midfield for Liverpool and carry the ball forward, drawing Wood and Gibbs-White over to one side. Quick switches back across allowed whichever Liverpool centre-back was spare to drive forward and take the midfield spaces more aggressively. Gibbs-White was often the one to jump out for Forest, which meant he left Gravenberch. Liverpool then better connected into their central players (below), working the ball around and between the hosts’ deep centre-backs with much more purpose, as they penetrated the penalty area more frequently.

But with a goal proving elusive, Slot chose to withdraw Robertson for Tsimikas, and centre-back Konaté for attacker Jota. Although the duo instantly combined for the equaliser, the changes also helped Liverpool to create more chances as the half progressed.

Their build often had Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk as a back line of two, with Tsimikas advancing wide left. Gravenberch dropped to centre-back alongside Van Dijk when defending, but pushed into midfield in possession as the away side had multiple central passing options to penetrate with (below). When Forest thwarted this with central numbers of their own, Liverpool played wide into Tsimikas or Salah to attack 1v1 against the hosts’ full-backs. The visitors largely dominated as they pushed for a winner and created multiple chances, some of which were superbly saved by Matz Sels. 

Another benefit of Liverpool’s adjusted roles and attacking shape was that it allowed them to lock Forest in a much deeper block. This naturally increased the counter-attacking distances the home side had to cover to reach Liverpool’s goal. Forest’s front line took up increasingly deeper positions (below), often unable to get into the final third due to Liverpool’s impressive recovery runs and transitional defending. In moments when Forest looked to have broken forward, Liverpool’s tactical fouling and resolute defending helped to limit Forest to just one effort on target in the second half.

Forest’s deeper pivots were also unable to join in the attack due to Liverpool’s increased presence in the central spaces, with Nuno eventually converting his team to a back five to see the game out. It is a measure of Forest’s progress under his management, however, that they could still be disappointed not to have held on for all three points. And yet they came perilously close to finishing with none, as Liverpool showed poise and character to assert themselves as the 90 minutes played out.

To learn more about football tactics and gain insights from coaches at the top of the game, visit CV Academy