Liverpool kept their outside shot at Champions League football next season alive as Diogo Jota scored twice in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, while Aston Villa’s European charge stalled in a 1-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday.
At the other end of the Premier League table, Leicester came from behind to secure a first win in 11 games by beating Wolves 2-1 to move out of the relegation zone.
Liverpool thrashed Leeds 6-1 on Monday to rekindle their hopes of a late challenge for a top-four finish but made heavy work of overcoming a Forest side that had scored just five away goals all season prior to their visit to Anfield.
Jota had not scored for a year prior to netting twice at Elland Road earlier in the week, but now has four goals in a week.
All of Liverpool’s goals came from set-pieces as they exposed some shocking Forest defending.
Jota twice put the Reds in front early in the second half, but Forest hit back through deflected efforts from Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White.
However, the visitors twice conceded within three minutes of getting level as Mohamed Salah swept home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick for the winner 20 minutes from time.
Liverpool move up to seventh and within six points of fourth-placed Newcastle, who host Tottenham on Sunday.
Forest slip to second bottom, one point adrift of safety.
