Nottingham Forest owner waits in tunnel after Liverpool draw following angry outburst at referee

Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, was in high spirits after the Premier League draw with Liverpool, greeting the players in the tunnel post-match.

The Forest players received a warm welcome back to the dressing room from a delighted Marinakis, who has played a pivotal role in the club’s rise to Premier League status since acquiring them in 2017.

Under the leadership of Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest has enjoyed a strong season, even mounting an unexpected title challenge. On Tuesday, they hosted Premier League leaders Liverpool, who held a six-point advantage at the top of the table.

Forest remains the only team to have defeated Liverpool this season, securing a 1-0 win at Anfield in September, and they looked set to repeat that success at the City Ground when Chris Wood scored just eight minutes into the match, assisted by Anthony Elanga.

However, Diogo Jota equalized for Liverpool in the 66th minute. Despite further attempts from Jota and a blocked shot by Mo Salah, Forest held firm to secure a draw.

This result continued to showcase Forest’s impressive form, having won six consecutive matches prior to this one. Marinakis, the club’s owner, was clearly pleased with their performance.

He was spotted eagerly waiting near the door to the home team’s dressing room, enthusiastically greeting players and staff with handshakes, hugs, and a beaming smile as they came off the field following their strong showing. The Greek owner was there for every player, celebrating their excellent effort.

With Forest displaying their trademark determination, satisfaction was evident all around, including from Nuno, who is in his first full season at the helm. He offered nothing but praise for his team’s resilience, highlighting their solid defense and expressing satisfaction with their current position in the league.

This contrasted sharply with last season, when Marinakis confronted officials after Liverpool’s dramatic late winner. The Forest owner had been standing on the touchline at the final whistle and was later escorted away by security.

“It was a good game. It was entertaining. First half, I think we were organized and didn’t allow too many situations. The second half was like ping pong and that is when Liverpool become stronger,” Nuno told TNT Sports.

“When they have space and with the speed and talent they have, it is very dangerous. I am very proud of the team for the way they worked and ran, especially up and down and the sprints to recover and the desire to attack.”

“It [Wood’s goal] was a beautiful finish. It was clinical. It was good. When Liverpool made the changes, we were also about to make a change. Credit to Liverpool, they had a lot of chances.”

“The support in the last seven minutes felt like they were giving extra runs to our players. Of course, we are satisfied. Especially because of the way the players work. I am so proud. We keep going. We want to enjoy the moment and we are competing very well.”