LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Liverpool maintained their slender hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest whose relegation fears deepened on Saturday.
While Forest are in danger of an immediate return to the Championship, Leicester City emerged from a run of eight defeats in nine league games to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 and move out of the relegation zone.
Everton dropped into the bottom three despite earning a point in a gritty 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace while Leeds United remain in deep trouble after a 2-1 defeat by Fulham.
Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah were on target for Liverpool in a riveting clash at Anfield as Liverpool climbed to seventh.
All the goals came in an action-packed second half, with Jota heading in the opener from a corner in the 47th minute, before Forest drew level when Neco Williams ran on to Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass to send a deflected shot past Alisson.
Jota restored Liverpool’s lead with a sharp finish on the turn in the 55th minute but Liverpool were pegged back again when Virgil Van Dijk’s header fell to an unmarked Gibbs-White.
Liverpool sealed the win three minutes after Forest’s second when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Salah with a low free kick and the Egyptian striker side-footed past Keylor Navas.
Forest substitute Brennan Johnson hit the crossbar with a delicate chip as Liverpool clung on to take all three points.
Liverpool have 50 points from 31 games, six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United who face fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
“Honestly top four at the moment, we have nothing to do with it, we will see about that in a few weeks,” Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp said.
While Forest have now gone 11 games without a league win and are second-from-bottom with 27 points, they are only a point behind 17th-placed Leicester City and will have taken some comfort from their display against Liverpool.
“It doesn’t look favourable at all, we know that,” Forest manager Steve Cooper said. “But we must take some heart from the spirit and mentality in one of the hardest away games in Europe, never mind the Premier League.”
Leicester fell behind at home to Wolves but hit back with goals by Kelechi Iheanacho and Timothy Castagne to end their 10-match run without a victory in all competitions and give new manager Dean Smith a win in his first home game.
“People have questioned our spirit but it was there to see today,” said Smith, whose side face a crucial clash with Leeds United on Tuesday.
Leeds are one point above the relegation zone after defeat at Craven Cottage. Second-half goals from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira earned Fulham the points as they moved up one place in the table to ninth.
Everton ended Crystal Palace’s winning run under returning coach Roy Hodgson as they held out for a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park but dropped into the relegation zone.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between and Everton ended with 10 men after Mason Holgate, making his first start since early November, received a second yellow card.
Everton are third-from-bottom on goal difference, behind Leicester, with both sides on 28 points.
Sixth-placed Aston Villa’s charge up the table was halted when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)
