Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool: Alexis Mac Allister is at the centre of late drama but the evidence is stacking up that Mo Salah’s best days are behind him, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE

First he thought he had won it. Then he thought he hadn’t. Then he went and won it all over again.

In one of the most spectacular endings to a match this season, Alexis Mac Allister’s goal seven minutes into stoppage time gave Liverpool a win they thought VAR had denied him only moments earlier.

In a breathless finale, Mac Allister found the net for the first time in the 89th minute when Ola Aina’s clearance rebounded off him and into the net, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR because the ball struck him on the elbow.

And then, with virtually the final attack of the match, Virgil van Dijk headed Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross goalwards and though Murillo tried to clear it, the ball fell to Mac Allister, who rammed it home. This time, VAR did not offer a reprieve for Nottingham Forest.

It was hugely tough on Forest, who made the running for most of the match, but they remain only two points above the bottom three after Vitor Pereira’s first league game as boss ended in defeat. Liverpool seized the chance to close the gap on top-four rivals Aston Villa and Chelsea, with Manchester United playing Everton on Monday.

Arne Slot‘s men managed to win despite another quiet afternoon for Mohamed Salah. When he was substituted 12 minutes from full-time, the Egyptian tried to style it out with a smile and an expression of surprise but this time the evidence was plain for all to see. This was his ninth successive league game without a goal and ever has Salah experienced a drought this long in his Liverpool career. When the key action of this match happened, he was no longer involved.

It came just after the midfielder thought he had scored, but for it to be ruled out by VAR

Though it would be foolish to write off a player as good as Salah, the signs of decline cannot be ignored. At one point in the second half, Neco Williams mistimed a challenge and Salah had the chance to scamper into space behind him. Last season, that would have produced a goal – or at least a shot on target. This time, Williams caught Salah and was able to slow him down in time for Murillo to move across and clear.

Salah may yet have a key role to play in Liverpool’s fortunes for the rest of the season. Who knows, he may even scored the winner in the Champions League final. It would not alter the basic fact that this version of Salah is nothing like the player who fired the Reds to the Premier League title last season. Salah is one of Liverpool’s greatest and perhaps he will be reborn next season. Yet based on what we have seen for much of this campaign, the odds are surely against it.

Given Forest’s brilliant first outing under Pereira – a 3-0 win at Fenerbahce in the Europa League last Thursday – it was no surprise to see the Portuguese name an unchanged side for his opening Premier League fixture in charge. Meanwhile, Liverpool were forced into a late change as Florian Wirtz was injured in the warm-up and was replaced by Curtis Jones.

The home side should have taken the lead in the third minute when Ibrahim Sangare sent Callum Hudson-Odoi clear, only for Alisson to make an impressive save after leaving his line quickly.

In line with their patchy season, Liverpool did not look themselves. Attempting to collect a miscued clearance, Jones took a poor touch and presented the ball to Elliot Anderson. The Liverpool midfielder was relieved to see the ball fizz wide from 20 yards.

The scruffy play continued, though. In the opening exchanges, both Van Dijk and Szoboszlai had given the ball away and that set the trend. Jones could not find his first touch and then, under no pressure, Alisson chipped a clearance straight out of play.

Yet with last season’s top scorer Chris Wood still sidelined with the knee injury that has kept him out since the end of October, Forest lacked the man to make their approach work count. Igor Jesus has many impressive qualities and is having a useful first season in English football but a natural goalscorer he is not.

Though Van Dijk and Szoboszlai were among those forced to make important interceptions, most of Forest’s efforts on goal were from outside the box. Indeed, Hudson-Odoi’s early effort was the only time Alisson looked genuinely at risk of conceding.

Mohamed Salah, however, struggled again and the numbers are suggesting his best days are now behind him

That should have changed in the opening minutes of the second half when, following a Forest corner, Hudson-Odoi sent the ball back into the danger zone and Nikola Milenkovic found space at the near post only to head wide.

Alisson’s opposite number Stefan Ortega had enjoyed a much quieter afternoon yet when he was needed, the former Manchester City man delivered. Salah headed back into the path of Jones three yards out and Ortega showed fine reflexes to block the shot.

Ortega thought he had conceded in the closing moments when he made a brilliant save from Hugo Ekitike but could do nothing to keep out the crazy rebound off Mac Allister. VAR saved Forest that time, but when Mac Allister found the net a second time there was nothing to spare them.