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CITY GROUND, NOTTINGHAM — Despite Diogo Jota's instant impact from the bench and Liverpool's mounting pressure over the final 20 minutes, Nottingham Forest held on for a 1-1 draw that left the teams first and second in the Premier League respectively after a captivating contest.
The overall picture on Tuesday night — a six-point lead over Forest with a game in hand an an advantage of seven over expected main challengers Arsenal – remained pretty rosey for Arne Slot's men.
As such, when it was put to Virgil van Dijk afterwards that Liverpool had only won three of their past seven Premier League matches, he could afford a mocking eye roll.
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"Oh, so are we in crisis now?" he replied with good-natured sarcasm. "It only confirms that the Premier League is a tough league where you play against opponents that are very good.
"[Forest] was always going to be tough - same as Manchester United at home with a new manager and their game plan. Every game is tough and we have to find a way to win.
"If we keep pushing and finding opportunities, I am very confident that we will score goals like we have been doing all season."
Jota's goal was one for Slot to mark down as a memorable moment. It is near-impossible to imagine the Dutch coach making a more immediately impactful substitution ever again in his career.
Before a 66th-minute corner, Kostas Tsimikas replaced a struggling Andy Robertson and Jota came on for Ibrahima Konate. Tsimikas took the right-wing set piece, Jota found space in a crowded goalmouth to head home and it briefly felt like Slot was playing a computer game on easy mode.
Arne Slot's Liverpool tactics vs. Nottingham Forest
However, the manner in which the tactical switch as much as the goal change the flow of the game was notable.
Tsimikas for Robertson was a like-for-like switch at left-back, but Portugal forward Jota replacing hulking centre-back Konate committed an extra body to the Liverpool attack.
Forest struggled to stem the tide, which was maddening for Nuno Espirito's accomplished battlers because the other side of Slot's gamble was it left Van Dijk manning a lone battle at the heart of defence. He was flanked by Tsimikas, fresh into the game, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who once again did not enjoy his best evening.
Ryan Gravenberch tucked back in from midfield when necessary, but Van Dijk was often stationed as Liverpool's only central defender – including in those moments of lightning transition when a Forest team supplying their in-form striker Chris Wood are at their most dangerous.
"It is a part of the game. We tried to force the equaliser and then the winner," Van Dijk observed, before explaining why he was comfortable with a set-up that recalled the classic W-M formation of the early 20th century.
"They sat back from the start anyway so there will be times that we are going to be one-v-one all over the pitch. Ryan was there anyway in certain moments and when I have to step up, I will try my best.
"I don't feel like it was sacrificing [defensive cover]. If you look at how they play, they are very compact with Chris Wood up top - basically a bit of a 4-5-1. So you could take the risk, if you want to call it a risk. If the press is good and you are reading the game well then you shouldn't be in many problems."
Liverpool were forced to avert a damaging loss at a raucous, baying away ground despite not being on their best form. That they did so in part because Slot trusted his players to handle a tactical gamble speaks well of their prospects in the challenges to come.
Of course, such gambles are a little easier to take when you have players so attuned to the rhythms and demands of a title race as Van Dijk.
"You can't be perfect all the time but the hard work we put in so far should give us the confidence to show who we are," he added, already casting an eye to the weekend trip to Brentford. "That is how I see it and we try to ensure everyone is thinking like that.
"So far this season, it has been going well. A draw [at Forest] and a draw against United maybe doesn't feel great, but we have another opportunity on Saturday."
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