Alex Mac Allister hails Liverpool's leaders for creating 'special day' at Forest

Darwin Nunez emerged as the hero for Liverpool on Saturday afternoon as his header secured a crucial victory over Nottingham Forest with a dramatic late goal. However, for the man who set it up, Alexis Mac Allister, the win was as much down to the team's mindset as anything else.

"This is such a special day for us. To win it like that is not easy. We came to a tough place," said the Argentinian (via the BBC).

"It was very difficult," he added, reflecting on a below-par first 45. "In the first half we needed to make runs in behind, we didn’t do it. Then second half, we did it a little bit more."

"We know there is no easy game in the Premier League, this is a tough place, you can see the atmosphere. So, very happy because it’s three points and now we move on and we think about Thursday."

Reflecting on the passage of play that would ultimately see the three points come back to Merseyside, Mac Allister revealed: "In that moment, I knew it was the last minute, and I just had to put it in. Then Darwin did the rest."

"As always, he’s an important player for us. He’s back, so we are very happy," he added.

Relentless positivity

Mac Allister also stressed the positive attitude and leadership within the team, which played a vital role in securing the hard-fought victory: "Our leaders were keeping the team very positive."

"I think everyone could see that we were always positive. You could see Virgil [van Dijk] and our leaders always keeping the team very positive, and that’s very important to keep going until the end. We are a very good team, a very good group with nice players on and off the pitch. That’s really important to be always positive."

The match-winning assist showcased Mac Allister's experience and composure under pressure; his precision delivery, after calmly recycling possession on the edge of the box, epitomised the importance of big players stepping up in crucial moments.

Moments like these will be crucial as the Reds continue their pursuit of glory on four fronts.