Nottingham Forest secured a hard-fought draw against Liverpool at Anfield, thanks to a heroic goal-line clearance from Super Eagles defender Ola Aina, Soccernet.ng reports.
In the 1-1 draw at the City Ground, Arne Slot's men dominated 71% of possession and registered 23 goal attempts compared to Forest's 6.
Liverpool looked poised to snatch a late winner when Mohamed Salah latched onto a rebound from a corner, but Aina’s stunning goal-line clearance denied the Reds a crucial goal.
Watch the stunning goal-line clearance
WHAT A BLOCK FROM OLA AINA
pic.twitter.com/pH9xUQ74xa— S (@scrapytweets) January 14, 2025
Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised the solid defensive effort, which he believes prevented his side from taking all three points.
“Their goalkeeper had to make a few incredible saves, but their defenders also made some good blocks with quite a few chances. They blocked almost every shot,” Slot said. “I could not have asked for more. The second half was outstanding. There are not many teams that can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a second.”
Beyond his defensive heroics, Nigeria international Ola Aina has significantly improved his attacking contributions this season. His Expected Goals (0.58) and Expected Assists (1.14) have risen markedly from last season's 0.27 and 1.03, reflecting his growing influence in key attacking moments.
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Aina has also become more effective in playmaking, creating two big chances this season compared to none last year.
He’s contributing more to build-up play, with increases in long balls (1.1 per 90) and crosses (0.4 per 90), highlighting his role in transitioning the team from defence to attack.
Speaking to Soccernet.ng, renowned freelance football journalist Zach Lowy shared his perspective on Aina’s future.
“I would love to see Aina renew his contract at Forest, but in this day and age, players want to play for the best teams in Europe. Aina will have plenty of suitors — Chelsea, City, and Liverpool will all be in the market for a right-back — and I can see him cashing in. Given that his contract is expiring, he can demand a massive commission and a huge salary that Forest simply wouldn’t be able to provide. He’s had to cut his teeth at Hull, Torino, Fulham, and Forest, but at 28, time is running out for him to play at one of the biggest clubs in Europe,” Lowy said.
It remains to be seen if the Nigerian defender will extend his stay at Nottingham Forest or pursue a move to a bigger club where he could have a better chance of winning silverware before retirement.
