"That confused the referee" - Michail Antonio praises Liverpool star for his 'genius' action in Nottingham Forest win
West Ham United forward Michail Antonio has showered praise on Liverpool's Luis Diaz for his 'genius' move during their 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend.
Liverpool continued their quest for the Premier League title when they locked horns with Nottingham Forest away from home on Saturday (March 2). It proved to be a really tough encounter for the Reds as the hosts put in a resilient performance at City Ground.
Eventually, Jurgen Klopp's men found a way to break Forest's resolve very late in the game as Darwin Nunez stepped up and scored a header in second-half stoppage time (90+9'). However, the goal didn't come without some controversy.
Liverpool's goal seemed to be aided by a refereeing mistake as what should've been a dropped ball for the Nottingham Forest was given back to the Reds. Luis Diaz played a huge part in the incident.
Amidst the chaos, the Colombian attacker quickly kicked the ball back to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. This apparently confused the official, who allowed the Reds to restart play before the ball made its way into the back of the net.
Speaking on the Footballer's Football Podcast, Michail Antonio explained how Diaz's involvement in the incident was genius. He said (via TBR football):
“I do rate, I rate Diaz because that passback got them the ball. He kicked it back to the keeper which is genius. That confused the referee, and he’s seen that it’s back at the keeper and he’s said alright it’s Liverpool’s. There are four other officials and someone needs to say that’s a Forest ball."
With that result, Liverpool kept their momentum alive in the Premier League title race. The Merseysiders remain atop the table with 63 points in 27 games - one point above second-placed Manchester City and two above third-placed Arsenal.
What's next for Liverpool?
The Reds have a mountain to lift in the next couple of weeks with their run of important fixtures. Their next four matches could determine how their campaign pans out.
Jurgen Klopp's men will take on Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 ties on Thursday (March 7). That will be followed by a massive clash with title rivals Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, March 10, before the second leg against Sparta Prague next week.
Liverpool will then take on Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals on March 17 before the season is interrupted by an international break. It will be interesting to see how the Reds fare in these encounters.