As the Nottingham Forest players gathered in a pre-match huddle in front of the away fans at Anfield, captain Ryan Yates delivered a simple message.
“We are a big club. But we are only a big club if we believe it,” he said.
Forest had not won at Anfield since 1969. At that point the half crown coin was still legal tender. The Beatles were still together. Nuno Espirito Santo had not been born.
The raucous, delirious celebrations in the away end after the final whistle had been 55 years in the making. People danced, cheered and some even shed a tear.
There might still be a long way to go before Forest can dare to even dream about competing at the top end of the table with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. Yet this was a landmark moment; one that underlines the evolution that quietly continues at Forest. They were briefly fourth in the Premier League table at the final whistle, and if this campaign does not end in a third consecutive fight against relegation, that is significant progress in itself.
But, as well as belief, Forest arrived at Anfield with an astute game plan; one that was perfectly executed from start to finish.
The starting line-up was a rough version of the 4-2-3-1 Forest normally operate with but, instead of out-and-out wingers, Nicolas Dominguez and Elliot Anderson played in the wider roles. Out of possession, it became more of a 4-4-1-1, with Dominguez and Anderson dropping deeper and tucking in.
Nuno had prepared his players to face a Liverpool side who forge many of their most dangerous attacks down the centre; who like to play their way through the opposition with flurries of intricate passes. With Yates and James Ward-Prowse prowling the midfield, Forest made themselves difficult to play through.
Ward-Prowse’s precise delivery from set pieces added an extra level of threat as he made an impressive debut. But he also made four interceptions, frequently breaking up play in the middle.
Yates was also a destructive force, making six clearances. But his biggest impact was in generally frustrating and winding up the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, whom he clattered within the first two minutes.
The prodigious work rate of Dominguez and Anderson — Nuno rather bluntly insisted they were both ‘dead’ when they were substituted in the 54th and 61st minutes respectively — ensured that Liverpool’s attack-minded full-backs could not get in behind either.
Forest’s full-backs, Ola Aina and Alex Moreno, were simply outstanding. Mohamed Salah got little change out of Moreno, who made seven tackles — three more than any other player on the pitch.
Aina’s positioning and reading of the game were impeccable. His calm and assured mentality can be summed up by the fact that he also had a 100 per cent pass rate. With 23 passes, he did not give the ball away once.
Nikola Milenkovic — described by Yates as a “warrior” — and Murillo had a ‘they shall not pass’ mentality in the centre of defence. One of the biggest cheers came when Murillo simply leathered a clearance into the stand, in the manner of Peter Kay in those old John Smiths adverts. ‘Ave it.
At half-time, Forest had an xG (expected goals) of 0. They had not mustered a single effort. But their plan was working as, while Matz Sels had been required to make two important saves, Liverpool’s own attacking threat had also been limited.
“We played a lot of midfielders. We wanted to have a little bit more possession. We wanted to control the game, with and without the ball,” said Yates afterwards. “We wanted to make sure that nothing came through us centrally. We wanted to quiet the crowd down. Then we knew that we have such a good squad now and the players who can come on to make a big impact.”
One of the messages Nuno delivers to his players most frequently is that they will be ‘needed’, whether they start or come on. The Forest head coach wants a tight squad — one where every player believes they have a part to play.
Forest’s first two substitutes, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, combined brilliantly for the goal, with Elanga advancing down the right before delivering a perfect crossfield ball. Hudson-Odoi then did what he does best, as he cut across the face of the penalty area, shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled an unstoppable shot inside the far post.
It was all part of the plan.
“We knew we had the speed to come in, we had players to come on when they (Liverpool) got a little bit tired,” said Yates. “That is exactly what happened.”
By the end, Forest’s xG was 0.6 and Liverpool’s 0.9 — the lowest they have recorded at Anfield since May 2023, in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa (0.7). It was the first goal Liverpool had conceded this season, too.
The other three substitutes all had an impact as well, with Morato adding steel at the back, Neco Williams bringing fresh energy at left-back and Jota making another whirlwind cameo on the wing. He even won a header against Virgil van Dijk, despite a considerable height difference.
Afterwards, Yates summed up the mood as Forest celebrated winning a fourth consecutive away game in the Premier League for the first time since 1995.
“I believe the club is growing,” he said. “It is not something we should expect to happen (regularly) yet, but it should no longer be a major shock that we have won matches like this.”
Forest have grand ambitions to build a new training ground, to invest again in the infrastructure at the club. But, in the meantime, they do not want to stand still or tread water.
Among the hierarchy, there is a fierce belief that, if Forest want to establish themselves as a permanent fixture among the elite they must, in every sense, act like a Premier League club. So millions of pounds have been invested to improve the daily environment for the players.
Over the summer, new medical facilities, a gymnasium and a new performance office were among the additions to the facilities, while the main building and the surroundings have been given a facelift.
“If you had been to the training ground three years ago and came back there now, you would not believe the difference,” said Yates. “It makes you feel like it is a Premier League club. Now it is down to us to believe in that.”
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
