Taiwo Awoniyi scored the only goal to earn Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win over struggling Liverpool as they claimed their second win of the season and end a nine-game winless run in the league. 

Awoniyi who was on the books of Liverpool from 2015 to 2021 without playing a game for the Merseyside club pounced on a loose ball in the 55th minute to score the winner sending fans at the City Ground into wild jubilation.

Speaking after the game, an excited Awoniyi says it is a dream come true scoring against his former side as it has been a game he’s looked forward to since joining Forest.

“For me, it’s a good win for my team, we had a plan to stay compact, then find a way to score a goal and in the end, we got the win. I’ve always been looking forward to playing against Liverpool because they brought me on when I was just 18, so it was an emotional game for me,” Awoniyi said after the game.

Coincidentally, Forest’s two wins in the league have come off goals from the Nigerian. Forest’s only other win came against West Ham with Awoniyi scoring the goal. According to the football statistics platform, Optajoe, Awoniyi is the first Nottingham Forest player to score in each of his first three Premier League starts at the City Ground. 

The win temporarily takes Forest off the bottom of the league table ahead of Leicester City who have a game against struggling Wolves on Sunday.