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Wood scores again as Nottingham Forest hold EPL leaders Liverpool to draw
Steve Douglas • January 15th, 2025 12:00 pm
Photo: AAP
Nottingham Forest demonstrated their unlikely Premier League title credentials by holding Liverpool to a 1-1 draw, backing up their win over the leaders earlier in the season.
It took a header by Diogo Jota from a corner in the 66th minute on Wednesday (NZ time) to earn Liverpool a point that maintained their six-point cushion over Forest, who moved into second place in their improbable bid to qualify for the Champions League - and maybe more.
Forest remain the only team to have beaten Liverpool in the league this season - at Anfield in September - and were on course to record an unlikely home-and-away double over Arne Slot's team after top scorer Chris Wood scored in the eighth minute.
The goal was the Kiwi's 13th of the season, placing him third in the race for the golden boot.
Liverpool piled on the pressure late but again failed to defeat Forest, who started the season more likely to be in a relegation battle than competing for the title.
Meanwhile, Manchester City showed more late-game fallibility in squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Brentford.
City conceded in the 82nd minute and again two minutes into stoppage time after Phil Foden scored twice for the struggling champions, who are battling to simply qualify for the Champions League this season.
A brace to Manchester City's Phil Foden gave his side a 2-2 draw against Brentford I Photo: AP
Before winning their past two league games against Leicester and West Ham, City had won just one in nine to drop out of the Champions League qualification positions.
During that poor run, City conceded two late goals to lose to Manchester United, and also threw away a three-goal lead late in a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard were the scorers for Brentford to leave City in sixth place.
Chelsea salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth thanks to Reece James' free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but saw their winless run in the league extend to five games.
Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead with a cheeky finish in the 13th minute for his 14th goal of the season, only for Bournemouth to respond as Antoine Semenyo won a penalty - converted by Justin Kluivert - and smashed home a rising finish in the 68th.
Chelsea stayed in fourth place - at least until fifth-placed Newcastle play on Thursday.
And Graham Potter secured his first win as West Ham manager as his new team beat Fulham 3-2.
Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek scored first-half goals before Lucas Paqueta grabbed the crucial third for West Ham, who brought in Potter last week as a replacement for the fired Julen Lopetegui.
Potter's first match in charge was a defeat at Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Alex Iwobi scored Fulham's goals.
West Ham moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone with the victory.
