Liverpool legend goes in on Gakpo, Jones and Salah post Forest victory | OneFootball

Carragher Verdict on Gakpo, Jones and Salah After Forest Escape

Liverpool left the City Ground with three points, though not with certainty. A 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, sealed in the 97th minute by Alexis Mac Allister, carried the air of relief rather than control. For Jamie Carragher, it carried something else entirely.

“That’s one of the biggest robberies I’ve seen in the Premier League this season, it really is,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. It was a judgement delivered without hesitation, and with reason. For long stretches, Arne Slot’s side laboured. Their Champions League pursuit looked set to suffer a damaging stumble before Mac Allister’s late intervention altered the narrative.

Ngumoha Influence Changes Mood

Carragher reserved particular praise for Rio Ngumoha, whose cameo reshaped the contest. Introduced in the 77th minute, the teenager brought urgency and intent to a forward line that had drifted.

“Rio Ngumoha came on in the 77th minute, he did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah did in the whole game. He changed the game this kid. He needs to be starting games now. He’s that good.”

Photo: IMAGO

Those words cut deep. Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, central figures in Liverpool’s attacking identity, were peripheral for much of the afternoon. Salah, so often decisive, struggled to impose himself. Gakpo’s movement lacked incision. In a season where fine margins define European qualification, anonymity can be costly.

Jones Under Scrutiny

Curtis Jones also came under fire. Carragher did not temper his criticism.

“He is always taking too many touches, he needs to be sharper,” Carragher said.

“That’s been an issue for his entire Liverpool career. He’s always wanting too much time on the ball.”

For a midfielder entrusted with progression and control, speed of thought matters as much as technique. Jones has long promised composure. At Forest, composure edged into hesitation.

Salah and Gakpo Quiet as Stakes Rise

Liverpool’s first half performance, described by Carragher as “one of the worst of the lot”, set the tone. Mac Allister believed he had struck in the 90th minute, only for VAR to rule it out after the ball brushed his arm. When he found the net again deep into stoppage time, there was no reprieve for Forest.

The result lifts Liverpool to sixth, level on points with Manchester United and Chelsea. In a crowded race, victories count, regardless of aesthetic. Yet Carragher’s assessment lingers.

Carragher’s comments place Gakpo, Jones and Salah under sharper focus. Talent alone will not carry Liverpool through the closing weeks. Urgency, precision and accountability will be demanded.