Liverpool stunned by Forest, Haaland hits double for City

Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi (centre) scores against Liverpool during the Premier League at the City Ground in Nottingham, Britain, yesterday. (Reuters)

• Casemiro earns Manchester United a draw against Chelsea; Everton end a run of three straight defeats

Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge suffered another massive blow in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest as Erling Haaland returned Manchester City to winning ways in a 3-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday. Chelsea and Manchester United both missed the chance to close on the leaders as Casemiro’s stoppage time header cancelled out Jorginho’s 87th minute penalty in a 1-1 draw.  City’s first defeat of the season to Liverpool last weekend looked to have kick-started the Reds’ season, but Jurgen Klopp’s depleted side slumped to a shock defeat at the City Ground. Forest began the day bottom of the table, but their first win since August lifted Steve Cooper’s men to within one point of safety. Taiwo Awoniyi, who spent six years at Anfield without making an appearance, scored the only goal 10 minutes into the second half. “To score against Liverpool is a day I will never forget,” said Awoniyi. Without the injured Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz and with Thiago Alcantara missing due to illness, Liverpool lacked the guile to break Forest down from open play. But they did have plenty of opportunities from set-pieces as Virgil van Dijk was denied by a stunning save from Dean Henderson deep into stoppage time. “How we cannot score from the set-pieces, I have no idea,” said Klopp. “That’s it pretty much. So the performance I can explain, the result not really.” Defeat leaves Liverpool still down in seventh, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal having played a game more. The 25-year-old Nigerian Awoniyi joined Liverpool as a teenager in 2015 but spent the majority of his Anfield career out on loan in Germany and Belgium before being sold in 2021. Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin for around 18mn pounds ($20mn) in June, heralding a frenzied summer of spending by the former English champions as they returned to the top flight for the first time since 1999. But of all the 20 plus signings the club has made, Awoniyi might just prove to be the most important. His third goal for Forest yesterday was an instinctive poacher’s effort from close range but he ran Liverpool’s defence ragged at times with his pace and power. He also scored the winning goal in Forest’s only other league win so far this season, against West Ham United, and if Forest are to survive he will be a key factor. “For me I’m happy but the most important thing is the three points. Now we have to build on it,” he said. “To score against Liverpool is a day I will never forget. I will always to be grateful to Liverpool for scouting me from Nigeria and scoring against them is amazing. This kind of game we have to look back on it and build on it. The game is over and now we concentrate on the next one.” United missed the chance to leapfrog Chelsea into fourth, but were happy to salvage a point thanks to Casemiro’s first goal for the club. Scott McTominay looked to have cost the Red Devils the game when he stupidly hauled down Armando Broja from a corner late on and Jorginho coolly converted the resulting spot-kick. Chelsea remain unbeaten under Graham Potter, but back-to-back draws leaves the Blues six points behind Arsenal after they failed to hold out. Casemiro rose highest to power in Luke Shaw’s cross despite Kepa Arrizabalaga’s best attempts to keep it out in the 94th minute. Normal service was resumed at the Etihad as City moved to within a point of the top with Haaland taking his tally for the season to 22. The Norwegian failed to score for the first time in 10 games at club level at Anfield last weekend, but quickly made amends by showing his immense pace and power to latch onto Ederson’s long ball, round Robert Sanchez and barrel Adam Webster off the ball to tap into an empty net. Haaland then smashed home his 17th Premier League goal of the campaign from the penalty spot. “He is there to score the goals,” said Kevin De Bruyne of his prolific teammate. “It’s just the start, he is doing what he needs to do.” Brighton are still to win under new boss Roberto De Zerbi but did push the champions back after the break when Leandro Trossard fired in at the near post. But another piece of City brilliance, this time from De Bruyne, killed the game off as the Belgian curled in from outside the box. Everton ended a run of three straight defeats by beating Crystal Palace 3-0 at Goodison Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return from injury is a huge boost for Frank Lampard’s men and the England international showed quick feet to fire home his first goal of the season early on. Anthony Gordon then tapped in the second just after the hour mark before Dwight McNeil rounded off the scoring six minutes from time. Victory lifts the Toffees above Palace on goal difference into 11th. Premier League results Chelsea 1 (Jorginho 87-pen) Manchester United 1 (Casemiro 90+4); Nottingham Forest 1 (Awoniyi 55) Liverpool 0; Everton 3 (Calvert-Lewin 11, Gordon 63, McNeil 84) Crystal Palace 0; Manchester City 3 (Haaland 22, 43-pen, De Bruyne 75) Brighton 1 (Trossard 53) Today: Aston Villa v Brentford, Leeds v Fulham, Southampton v Arsenal (1300), Wolves v Leicester, Tottenham v Newcastle (1530) Tomorrow: West Ham v Bournemouth (1900)