Arne Slot Post Game Press Conference Nottingham Forest | Everything You Need To Know

Arne Slot spoke to the media after Liverpool were held a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Tuesday night
IMAGO / Action Plus

Liverpool failed to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table following a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night. The Reds sit six points above second-placed Forest with a game in hand.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool | Premier League - Player Ratings | Reds Battle Back For A Point

Mohamed Salah Neco Williams
Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams tracking Mohamed Salah of Liverpool / IMAGO / Propaganda Photo

Forest, chasing a seventh successive league win for the first time since 1922, took an early lead through Chris Wood's sublime finish. Nuno Espirito Santo's side were on course to complete the league double over Liverpool until head coach Arne Slot's substitutions had an instant impact after 66 minutes.

Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas, who both climbed off the bench combined to instant effect that Tsimikas' first touch, an inswinging corner, was nodded home by Jota.

Liverpool dominated the second half after a poor first halftime but could not find the match-winner as both teams settled for a draw.

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After the game, Arne Slot spoke to the media.

Slot was asked about whether he’s ever made a substitution that’s had as immediate an impact as tonight before

Diogo Jota Kostas Tsimikas
Diogo Jota celebrates with Kostas Tsimikas / IMAGO / Focus Images

"No, I don’t think so. I can’t remember it. Although I don’t feel any pride in the substitution because you make a substitution because you have a certain game plan for why you do this. In this situation, we brought an attacker in for a defender just to play even more attacking football than we already did because we needed a goal - or goals. Then scoring from set-pieces was not something I had in my mind when I brought the two of them in, but of course Jota can score a goal and Kostas has a good set-piece."

When asked about his overall take on the game:

"I couldn’t have asked for more today. I think most people talk about the second half - that they are really positive about the second half. If you ask me, I am also more positive about the second half than the first half, but if you play at this ground against this team, who are in such good form, hardly concedes a chance in every single game - and I have watched many of them back... so many counter-attack threats, almost every game they have counter-attack after counter-attack after counter-attack.

"We conceded only one counter-attack here today in 98 minutes of football of total domination. 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.

"Being 1-0 down over here and it’s so hard to score against this team, it’s not what we wanted - we want to have three points, but in the end what I want, what the fans should want and what the players should want is that they give it all they [have] got during every single game they play. That is what they did today, combined with outstanding football in the second half."

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Slot was asked about whether tonight highlighted any areas he’d like to strengthen in the transfer window

"I think you saw today again that I can still strengthen the team or impact the game with the substitutes I have on the bench. Not for the first time this season, these players have helped us, that I could bring in. If you look at today, like I said, I couldn’t have asked for more.

Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota heads the equaliser against Nottingham Forest / IMAGO / Focus Images

"I said to them at half-time don’t get frustrated, you will not get many chances, probably the game is going to be slow, but just keep focusing on what you have to do and hopefully you will get two or three chances and let’s try to score from that. I was completely wrong because they created chance after chance after chance."

When asked about how difficult Forest are to play against and whether their style is ‘unique':

"I wouldn’t say unique, but the playing style suits the players really well and I think this is what is the job of every manager: to try to find a playing style that suits your players. What makes it difficult, and we faced it not only against them but we faced it a bit against [Manchester] United as well, is they play the long ball and they have some very good players for this.

"So, first of all you have to make sure you win the first ball and then the second or the third ball because they play the ball off Wood, who is a very strong target man, and then they have got these quick forwards that can hurt you as well.

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"But then the moment you win the second or the third ball there are 11 players behind the ball and it is so difficult to score against teams that play in a low block; it’s so difficult to create chances against teams like that.

"And yeah, that’s why for us it was such a disappointment that we went 1-0 down because then they could even play their style even better, which made it a difficult evening for us because apart from the [Forest] players that I have to give compliments, I have to give the fans compliments as well because they were really there for the home team and tried to influence the game as much as they could. They were a big help for Forest tonight."

Slot was asked about whether he considers Forest to be title contenders

"I said already before the game that after 20 games you can judge the table much better than in the first five, six, seven, eight, nine or 10 games and if you are right up there with us and the other teams… and I don’t think they are here because of luck. It is for every team very hard and difficult to play against them.

"They’ve already had a few difficult away games, with United away, [Manchester] City away, with Arsenal away, us away, playing us already twice. So, that shows you that they are a team that can compete for the top end of the league table.

Trent Alexander-Arnol
Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Liverpool / IMAGO / Sports Press Photo

"I also think, but you have to tell me if I am right, that they have had most of their players available until now for the whole season so I see almost the same line-up, and that is a quality for the coaching staff that they have as well. But if they can keep bringing the same players on the pitch I see no reason for them to drop a lot of points."

When asked about whether Jota is now back in rhythm and making a big impact after his injury lay-off:

"Yes, he made a big impact already before when he came in against Fulham but then after that game he had a bit of a setback and then the games he came in afterwards I also felt he needed a bit more time to get into his rhythm.

"That’s not only with him, I see that with other players as well that were out for a few weeks or a few months, it is difficult to get this intensity going in these Premier League games immediately. And it was very pleasing to see that today he might even have been better than against Fulham when he came in. He had a big impact, he was the one, apart from Mo [Salah], that had a few chances to score our second goal."

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Joseph Agbobli
JOSEPH AGBOBLI

LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli