Liverpool 3-2 Nottingham Forest

LIVERPOOL FORWARD DIOGO Jota is making up for lost time after his double against Nottingham Forest made it four goals in six days after a year-long barren spell.

However, the 3-2 win was littered with defensive lapses and, after the visitors quickly equalised twice through former Reds defender Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White, it needed the reliable left boot of Mohamed Salah to secure victory.

Even then Liverpool’s progress to within six points of fourth-placed Newcastle was almost when Brennan Johnson lobbed Alisson Becker but was denied by the crossbar.

Jota justified Jurgen Klopp’s decision to name an unchanged side for the third successive game running for the first time since January 2020 as his mini-revival continued.

The Portugal international, who due to injury made just 10 appearances in the first six months of the season, ended his drought with two in Monday’s 6-1 demolition of Leeds and repeated the feat to increase the pressure on fellow relegation strugglers Forest, who have now lost their last six away matches and dropped to second-bottom as a result.

In line with Liverpool’s recent return to form, Trent Alexander-Arnold, in his new hybrid right-back-cum-midfield role, was at the heart of their best work but unlike at Elland Road where he picked apart the naive hosts it was his enduring set-piece quality which created the most danger.

Yet the first half, in which they enjoyed 86 per cent possession but had only a header from Virgil van Dijk tipped over by goalkeeper Keylor Navas and Jota nodding wastefully wide to show for their efforts, gave no indication of the chaos which was to follow after the interval.

Forest, who had to replace the injured Scott McKenna with Joe Worrall on the half-hour mark, had shown little ambition with a 5-4-1 set-up designed to deny their hosts the space through the middle they had exploited so ruthlessly at Elland Road.

But when the breakthrough came two minutes into the second half it was inevitably from a set-piece.

Alexander-Arnold’s outswinging delivery caused panic and Fabinho seized on a loose ball to head goalwards for Jota to nod in from close range.

The lead lasted just four minutes as Forest counter-attacked and Williams blasted home via a deflection off Robertson.

However, Liverpool’s response was instantaneous as Jota exploited a static Forest defence.

Robertson swung over a free-kick and the Portugal international ran from deep to control on his chest unmarked and slot home with the visitors and most of Anfield expecting an offside flag which never came.

Jota was denied a hat-trick when his header was tipped over by Navas but a failure to establish control allowed Gibbs-White to brilliantly volley in the 68th minute and the visiting support could hardly believe it having previously witnessed just five goals in 15 away league matches this season.

But they barely had time to celebrate as Salah put Liverpool ahead for the third and final time from yet another Alexander-Arnold free-kick, although the Egypt international’s left-footed finish required the assistance of a post to go in, joining Robbie Fowler in joint sixth place on the club’s all-time scorers list with 182.

Still Liverpool failed to close the back door and their former striker Taiwo Awonyi, who scored the winner against at the City Ground in October, saw an overhead kick graze the crossbar before Johnson went even closer.

Seasons can be defined by such small margins and, while it maintain Liverpool’s momentum in their quest for Champions League football, it extended Forest’s dismal run to three points from the last 30 available.

Leicester 2-1 Wolves

Timothy Castagne gave Leicester a survival lifeline after a vital 2-1 comeback win over Wolves.

The Foxes climbed out of the Premier League’s relegation zone on goal difference following a first victory in 10 top-flight games.

Kelechi Iheanacho’s penalty cancelled out Matheus Cunha’s opener in Dean Smith’s first home game in charge of the Foxes since replacing Brendan Rodgers.

Defeat denied Wolves a victory which would have put them on the brink of survival and left them with work still to do, sitting six points clear of the bottom three.

Robbed of James Maddison, out with illness, Smith had thrown caution to the wind with Tete, Iheanacho and Patson Daka joining Jamie Vardy going forward.

Smith was adamant Vardy could recapture some old glory, however fleeting, to save Leicester and within three minutes the striker rolled back the years.

The new boss felt the 36-year-old could still trust his legs and, when Iheanacho slipped him through, Vardy darted past Craig Dawson to cross for Tete, only for Toti Gomes to block.

Yet, despite a positive start, the hosts shot themselves in the foot with Youri Tielemans gifting Wolves a 13th-minute opener.

There was little threat when he collected Wout Faes’ pass 30 yards out but, with the aid of a heavy touch, Mario Lemina quickly hunted the midfielder down.

The ball ran to Cunha to advance and drill a clinical finish low beyond Daniel Iversen from the edge of the box.

It rocked Leicester, their early zip disappeared and the Foxes started creaking at the back, their defensive fragility all too clear.

Faes blocked Pablo Sarabia’s drive and Dawson’s follow up was deflected wide while Matheus Nunes began to dictate in midfield.

It was a surprise, then, when the hosts grabbed the equaliser eight minutes before the break.

Iheanacho broke and found Vardy who skipped round Jose Sa, only for the goalkeeper to slip and bring him down.

It was classic Vardy but the striker needed treatment after Sa caught him on the ankle and was off the pitch when Iheanacho stroked in the penalty.

It was a lifeline which the Foxes were keen to grab and Sa spilled Tete’s effort and blocked Daka’s follow up before the break.

Vardy was withdrawn at half-time and replacement Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall wasted a good chance 11 minutes into the second half, blazing over after Sa denied Daka.

Wolves had lost what momentum they had and again needed Sa to thwart Caglar Soyuncu as Leicester looked for a precious winner.

That finally came with 14 minutes left after an incisive moved which left Wolves chasing shadows.

Boubakary Soumare swapped passes with Daka and threaded a neat ball to the advancing Victor Kristiansen.

His first-time cross found the onrushing Castagne to sweep in from 12 yards for his first goal since August.

Iversen still needed to turn over Ruben Neves’ late free kick but the Foxes held on to give themselves hope.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Everton

Everton had Mason Holgate sent off as they dropped into the Premier League relegation zone despite a battling goalless draw at Crystal Palace.

Sean Dyche’s side were forced to hang on for the final 10 minutes at Selhurst Park after Holgate was shown a second yellow card when he tripped Jordan Ayew, earning a point that did little for their survival hopes.

Leicester’s victory against Wolves meant that Everton slipped back into the bottom three after as their winless run in the league extended to five games.

The result ended Palace’s perfect winning streak under Roy Hodgson who replaced the sacked Patrick Vieira in March, but their top-flight status now looks all but secure.

It was the home team that had the best of the first half. Ayew had a sight of goal after eight minutes, rising to meet Michael Olise’s whipped cross before thumping his header over the bar.

Olise then injected excitement into a tepid first half when he burst past Vitalii Mykolenko with muscle and speed down the right, claiming a penalty as he went to ground under the Everton defender’s challenge, but referee John Brooks waved it away.

When Palace did muster a shot on target in the 22nd minute, Olise’s effort flew straight into Jordan Pickford’s grasp.

Palace were in control but it was Everton who had the best moment of the half. Tyrick Mitchell swung a careless leg at Dwight McNeil’s cross and the ball dropped onto the right foot of Alex Iwobi, who lashed it back goalwards on the volley. Sam Johnstone dived low and beat it away with two hands as it sped towards the corner.

McNeil had a final stab at giving the first half a goal, he cut in from the left and tried his luck but his drilled effort found only the goalkeeper’s gloves.

When Eberechi Eze darted in behind Everton and lifted the ball over Pickford just before the hour mark, Palace thought they had the lead, before celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. VAR checked it, but Eze had made his run fractionally early.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was inches away from marking his first start since February with a goal. Pickford’s huge punt upfield was just barely dealt with by Palace, but no one had picked up Iwobi whose ball into the returning striker was so nearly finished off after an intelligent touch and spin.

Palace’s perfect run since Hodgson’s return as manager was under threat, though not to nearly the same extent as Everton’s Premier League future. It was they who turned up the intensity as the game entered its final quarter, penning the home side in their own half, searching out the goal that would give their survival bid back its lift.

It was against the run of play then that Palace almost took the lead on the break 15 minutes from time. Ayew skipped into the box and cut the ball back to Eze who took a touch, opened up his body and bent a shot towards the bottom corner that Pickford did well to turn behind.

Then came a moment to dash Everton’s ambitions. Holgate had already been booked when he lunged at Ayew as the pair raced together down the left. A second yellow was inevitable, and Holgate was dismissed.

Mitchell and Luka Milivojevic had efforts blocked as Everton sat back and clung to their point. Pickford hung gratefully after diving to grab Eze’s driven low cross.

Dyche’s side saw the game out, but their future looks increasingly uncertain.

Brentford 1-1 Aston Villa

Douglas Luiz grabbed a late equaliser as Aston Villa snatched a 1-1 draw at Brentford.

Ivan Toney looked to have secured a 100th win as Brentford boss for Thomas Frank with his 20th goal of the season.

But Villa have yet to not score in a match since Unai Emery was appointed manager last October, and Luiz kept up that record as their late European challenge just about stayed on track.

Villa were unchanged from their 3-0 win over Newcastle last weekend, but were unable to match that dazzling display against a physical Bees side.

All they had to show for an anaemic first-half performance was Emiliano Buendia’s toe-poke, which forced an early save from David Raya, and a narrowly wide curler from John McGinn.

At the other end Bryan Mbeumo was giving Alex Moreno the runaround, flicking Toney’s pass over the full-back’s head before volleying straight at Emiliano Martinez.

Moreno won their next duel with a goal-saving sliding tackle just as the Cameroon forward was about to sidefoot Vitaly Janelt’s cross into an empty net.

Martinez bravely dived at the feet of Toney as the Bees frontman attempted to steer in Kevin Schade’s low cross.

The Argentina World Cup-winner also raced out of his area to deny Janelt, and must have hurt himself in the process as he was replaced by Robin Olsen at half-time.

Olsen dealt with a looping header from Bees substitute Frank Onyeka, but then made an almighty mess of another header from Schade.

The winger, yet to score for the Bees since joining on loan from Freiburg in January, was presented with an open goal but from a tight angle he fired into the side-netting.

Mbeumo should also have hit the target after racing on to Toney’s ball over the top, only to sky his first-time shot.

A goal was coming, and it arrived in the 65th minute when Mbeumo tormented Moreno once more before swinging in a cross which Ashley Young missed and Toney converted at the far post.

Onyeka should have doubled the lead when he met another Mbeumo cross but he scuffed his effort wide.

It proved a costly miss three minutes from time when, after a goalmouth scramble, Buendia pulled the ball back for Luiz to lash home and snatch a point.

There was still time for Ollie Watkins, who had a quiet game against his old side, to squander a chance to make it a club-record sixth straight Premier League win for Villa when his stoppage-time header flew over.