Arne Slot said he couldn't have asked for anything more from his Liverpool players after they pulled away from conceding a goal to draw 1-1 with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Forest started Tuesday's match as the only team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League under Slot, and they threatened to complete a memorable double when Chris Wood put them ahead.
Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target before half-time, but Slot's decision to bring on Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas after 66 minutes changed the game.
They combined to equalize within 22 seconds of the change being made, with Jota Tsimikas' corner nodding home for the fastest ever Premier League goal by a Liverpool substitute (since 2006-07).
Asked about the decisive double substitution after the match, Slot told TNT Sports: “You have to have a bit of luck with that.
'We took Ibrahima with us [Konate] out at that moment, who is normally a big threat from set pieces, but we all know Jota can score a goal and Tsimikas has a good throw.
“We brought them in to score a goal, but after twenty seconds they actually did it!”
Liverpool have gained the most points this season by losing positions in the Premier League (14), after making a marked improvement after half-time.
They had 14 shots worth a total of 1.48 expected goals (xG) in the second half, compared to nine worth 0.47 xG in the opening period, with Jota having more shots on target than any other despite his late introduction Liverpool player (three).
Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels made three stunning saves late on to keep the league leaders at bay, and Slot doesn't think Liverpool's second-half performance could have been better.
“Their goalkeeper had to make some incredible saves, but their defenders also made some good blocks with quite a few chances. They blocked almost every shot,” Slot continued.
“I couldn't have asked for more. The second half was excellent.
“There are not many teams that can create so many chances against a defensively strong opponent. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a second.
“If the goalkeeper has it, they go long, and you have to defend that first, which we did. Then you have to win the second ball.
“If you win that, they go back into a low block with eleven players around the 18-metre area.
“It is so difficult for every team to create here. Sometimes it was one chance after another, although sometimes it took a long time for the restart.”
Liverpool remain six points clear of second-placed Nottingham Forest with a game in hand, although their lead at the top could be reduced to four points when Arsenal face Tottenham on Wednesday.
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