'We all know': Arne Slot raves about two Liverpool players after what they did vs Nottingham Forest

Yesterday at 06:45 PM

Liverpool and Nottingham Forest shared the spoils in what turned out to be a competitive game of Premier League football that ended 1-1.

The Reds are now six points clear of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, but that gap could be reduced to four tomorrow if Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby.

Liverpool didn’t start well and fell behind to a Chris Wood goal, who scored his 13th Premier League goal of the season with a fine finish from just inside the penalty area.

However, Diogo Jota came on in the second half to nod in from close range after a brilliant corner from Kostas Tsimikas.

The two substitutes combined to give Liverpool a valuable point on their travels, and Arne Slot has shared the reason behind his decision to introduce the duo in the second half.

Arne Slot raves about Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas after Liverpool equaliser

After losing the reverse fixture 1-0 at Anfield, it looked like it could be another one of those nights for Liverpool as it simply wasn’t happening for them in the final third.

Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo thwarted everything that came their way at the back, while Forest’s direct style of play and counter-attacking threat was on display several times over the course of the game.

Liverpool resorted to taking a handful of long shots – particularly in the first half – as Forest sat deep and effectively put ten men behind the ball in a low block.

However, Jota and Tsimikas combined to devastating effect in the second half moments after coming on as the Portuguese international headed home a corner from the left-back.

Slot removed Ibrahima Konate ahead of the set piece as Ryan Gravenberch slotted in as a central defender.

And the Dutchman feels he brought the Liverpool duo on for exactly what they produced on the pitch as Jota headed home from close range after a brilliant cross from Tsimikas.

“You need to be a bit lucky with that [substitutions],” said Slot after the game (via BBC).

“We took Ibou [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 score a goal but they really did it after 20 seconds.”

Liverpool still in a good position to win the Premier League title

The Reds have won just three of their last seven Premier League games and have been unable to dispatch teams as easily as they did in the first half of the season.

However, they still have a game in hand and are six points clear of second-placed Forest, so they are in a good position to build on their position in the coming weeks.

Clinton Morrison feels Liverpool are still favourites for the Premier League title, but Arsenal can close the gap to four points tomorrow, so they need to be wary of the threat posed by the Gunners, among others.