Oliver Kahn criticised Bayern Munich's players for their display in Saturday's 3-1 loss at Mainz but absolved head coach Thomas Tuchel of any blame for their current slump.

Bayern dropped points for the second Bundesliga game running to relinquish top spot to Borussia Dortmund, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 later in the day.

Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann last month but has already overseen Bayern's exits from the Champions League and DFB-Pokal at the quarter-final stage of both.

Despite winning just two of his opening seven games in charge, Bayern CEO Kahn does not believe Tuchel deserves any criticism for results over the past month.

"Thomas Tuchel is the last person we need to talk about now," Kahn told reporters. "He is doing everything he can to help the boys progress. 

"There are 11 men on the pitch who have to work hard to achieve the goals of this club. What the team showed on the pitch is not enough."

Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic are under growing pressure, with Bayern at risk of missing out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

"I have no problem with criticism," Kahn said. "I have been through a lot in my career and I know what it means when things are not going well at Bayern. We are all responsible. 

"Despite this poor performance, we can still become German champions this season. My only objective is to finish the season as champions and to set off again next season."

Sadio Mane gave Bayern the lead at Mainz, but goals from Ludovic Ajorque, Leandro Barreiro and Aaron Martin in the space of 14 second-half minutes stunned the visitors.

Bayern have now gone four games without a win across all competitions, and Kahn was particularly concerned by his side's collapse at Mewa Arena.

"We played a catastrophic second half," he said. "Who was the team that wants to become champions? It will be very difficult to become champions with such performances."

According to German outlet Sport1, Kahn, Salihamidzic and president Herbert Hainer spoke to the Bayern squad for 15 minutes in the dressing room after the game.

Echoing the views of Kahn, Hainer accepts something has to change with Bayern's mindset if they are to catch Dortmund – one point better off – in their final five matches. 

"We had the game completely under control in the first half, were 1-0 up and forgot to score the second goal," he said. "After their equaliser we broke up completely.

"The second half was disappointing – I have to say that very clearly. When you see two halves that are so different and we collapse like that, it's really difficult to explain.

"You've seen that a few times in the last few games, and I don't know why. The coach will work on it. You can tell there's no security. There's more when they're a goal down."

Bayern return to action a week on Sunday with a home match against bottom side Hertha Berlin.

Riyad Mahrez's Wembley treble was the highlight of Manchester City's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Sheffield United, but he was more focused on avenging a different sort of hat-trick.

City had suffered defeat in the semi-finals of the competition for the past three years, part of a sequence that had seen them lose four out of five at Wembley – as many as they had in their first 18 at the ground since it reopened in 2007.

A cagey first half saw City head into the break just one goal ahead, with Mahrez on target, and he stole the spotlight in the second half to send the Championship promotion hopefuls packing.

His goals ensured he became the first player in history to score an FA Cup semi-final treble at Wembley and the first overall since Alex Dawson for Manchester United against Fulham in 1958.

However, the most important aspect for Mahrez was ensuring a previous City treble did not become an unprecedented quadruple.

"It's very good [to score a hat-trick] but the most important thing, after two or three years in a row where we always came here in the semi-final, we always lost and we didn't really play good. Today, we wanted to make sure we put in a good performance and got to the final," he told ITV Sport.

"It means a lot. Every season we start, with the team we have got and the coach we have got, we really want to go as far as we can in every competition.

"Getting into the final of the FA Cup is amazing in this country. Now we need to concentrate on the league and the next game against Arsenal."

City now turn their attention to the midweek tie against Arsenal in the Premier League, where victory would move them just two points behind the leaders with two games in hand.

A day after a dramatic night before following Arsenal and Southampton's nail-biting 3-3 draw, there were five more games primed to excite the masses in the Premier League.

After Fulham handed Leeds United another damaging defeat, Nottingham Forest were denied any points as well despite an impressive effort at Liverpool.

Roy Hodgson's winning return to Crystal Palace came to an end after a determined Everton took a point from Selhurst Park, though it was not enough to stop them from slipping into the relegation zone after Leicester City beat Wolves, with Timothy Castagne hitting the winner at the King Power Stadium.

Douglas Luiz won a late point for Aston Villa at Brentford to maintain Unai Emery's impressive record since arriving at the club.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more interesting Opta facts from Saturday's Premier League action.

Fulham 2-1 Leeds United: Cottagers add to Whites woes

It has been quite a return to the Premier League for Fulham, who have won 13 games this season, their joint-second highest tally in a single campaign (14 wins in four different seasons). In fact, it is one more victory than they managed in their previous two top-flight campaigns combined (seven in 2018-19 and five in 2020-21).

Leeds came into this having conceded 11 goals in their last two games, both at home, but have now also kept just one clean sheet in their last 18 Premier League away games.

Harry Wilson scored in consecutive Premier League games for the first time since his first ever two appearances in the competition in August 2019.

With two more at Craven Cottage on Saturday, Andreas Pereira has had more shots on target from outside the box than any other player in England's top-flight this season (17). However, all four of his goals this season have been from inside the box, including his goal here.

Only Liverpool and Brighton (four) have benefitted from more own goals in the Premier League than Leeds this season (three), with Joao Palhinha turning into his own net. Only in 1997-98 (four) have the Whites ever benefitted from more own goals in a single Premier League campaign.

Brentford 1-1 Aston Villa: Bees stung by late Villa leveller

An 87th-minute equaliser for Aston Villa meant they have scored in all 19 of their Premier League games under Unai Emery, the longest consecutive scoring run any team has had from the start of a manager/head coach's tenure in the competition's history.

Brentford are now winless in six Premier League games (D3 L3), only between January and February 2022 have they been on a longer run without victory in the competition (eight games).

Ivan Toney registered his 40th goal involvement in the Premier League (31 goals, nine assists), on his 65th appearance, with only Harry Kane (40), Mohamed Salah (39) and Erling Haaland (32) netting more than Toney since the start of last season.

Seven of Douglas Luiz' nine goal involvements in the Premier League this season have come under Emery (three goals, four assists), with only Ollie Watkins involved in more goals (20) for Villa this season.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Everton: Holgate sees red but Toffees stick to it

The Eagles failed to score in a Premier League game for the first time since Hodgson returned to the club, having averaged three per game across his previous three matches in charge.

Palace are unbeaten in four Premier League games in that time though (W3 D1) and have kept clean sheets in each of their last two, having kept just two clean sheets in their previous 14 league matches.

Everton slipped into the bottom three despite a well-earned point, and are now winless in their last 12 Premier League away matches (D4 L8) and have failed to score a goal in nine of those matches. However, they kept their first clean sheet away from home since October.

Mason Holgate saw red late on after two yellow cards. Everton have now received two red cards in their last four league matches having previously not received one in the league since May 2022, when both Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon were given their marching orders against Brentford.

Leicester City 2-1 Wolves: Foxes outwit Wolves

A massive win for Dean Smith's side in the fight against relegation saw them end their nine-game winless run in the Premier League (D1 L8), with this their first victory since February against Tottenham.

Wolves have won just one of their last 26 away league games against Leicester (D9 L16) and remain winless in their last seven at the King Power Stadium, last succeeding in a 4-1 victory in the Championship in May 2007.

No side has conceded more goals from outside the box in the Premier League this season than Leicester's 14 after Matheus Cunha's opener for Wolves (level with Nottingham Forest). The Foxes last conceded more goals from distance in a single top-flight campaign back in 1994-95 (18).

Only Raheem Sterling (23) has won more penalties in Premier League history than Leicester's Jamie Vardy (22), who gave Kelechi Iheanacho the chance to level things from the spot.

Iheanacho (30 goals and 20 assists) became the seventh player to reach 50 Premier League goal involvements for Leicester and the third non-Englishman to do so after Muzzy Izzet (59) and Riyad Mahrez (66).

Liverpool 3-2 Nottingham Forest: Forest beaten despite finally finding scoring touch on the road

It was a nervy afternoon at Anfield for Liverpool, who have now lost only one of their previous 36 Premier League games against newly promoted sides at home (W29 D6), winning each of their last five, and scoring 20 goals during that run.

However, they needed to score three here after Forest scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time since May 1999 against Blackburn (2-1 win), and the first time they have done so and not won since December 1998 against Sheffield Wednesday (also a 3-2 defeat).

Forest have lost each of their last six away league games for the first time in the Premier League, and for the first time in the top-flight since December 1979 under Brian Clough.

After a run of 20 league games without a goal, Diogo Jota has scored four in his last two appearances for Liverpool, and is the first Reds player to net at least two goals in successive games in the competition since Salah in November 2017.

Salah has now scored in three successive Premier League games for the first time since October 2021 (a run of seven), while in 2023, only Watkins (14) and Haaland (13) have more goal involvements in the competition than his 12 (nine goals, three assists).

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is unsure when Joel Embiid will return from injury after a knee sprain sidelined the MVP favourite for Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets.

It was announced on Friday that Embiid had suffered the injury in Thursday's Game 3 win over the Nets – the 76ers' third straight victory in the series.

Embiid has sustained injuries during several previous postseason campaigns, including sitting out two games as the 76ers were beaten by the Miami Heat in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals.

An ESPN report suggested Embiid could return to the court as early as next week, but Rivers was unwilling to put a timeframe on the center's recovery on Saturday.

"This is another obstacle in the story that we're going to write this year, and we're going to be okay. It may take a minute, but this is just part of it," Rivers said.

"He's human, and goodness, this happens again. Let's win, let's get him back on the floor and let's keep on our own journey."

Asked whether Embiid could return during this series if Brooklyn were to force a Game 5, Rivers added: "I don't know. I can't answer that, but I'm not sure.

"From my understanding, they checked his knee out right after the game because he was complaining about some soreness behind the knee, which is always a scary thing to hear about with players. 

"There was swelling already, which is way too early, so we did the MRI. As a coach, I hate that word. I hate those three letters, because it never comes out well. 

"It just feels like that, whenever they tell a coach you're going to get an MRI, it doesn't turn out well most of the time, and this time it did not."

Romelu Lukaku was dramatically cleared to face Juventus in the second leg of Inter's Coppa Italia semi-final as Italian football chiefs rescinded the red card he received for standing up to racist abuse.

An intervention on Saturday from the president of the Italian FA (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, brought about the cancellation of Lukaku's second yellow card in the first leg of the Juventus tie.

That was despite the FIGC on Friday announcing the ban would stand, which was followed by an outraged response from Inter.

Inter reacted with dismay and "great sorrow" to Friday's ruling, saying it appeared Lukaku had been judged "the only guilty party" despite being the victim.

Gravina's decision to subsequently quash the verdict was warmly welcomed by Lukaku, who said in a statement on Inter's website: "I am really happy about this decision from the president of the FIGC, who has shown great sensitivity to the situation.

"I believe that thanks to his intervention, justice has been done and this sends out a great message to the whole world of sport and beyond. This has shown that the desire is there to fight racism."

The initial decision to uphold the red card and suspension had all the attributes of an embarrassing own goal for the FIGC amid efforts to show they take racism seriously.

Belgian striker Lukaku converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa. Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman, who is on loan from Chelsea, subsequently demanded action from Italian authorities after the latest case of him being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned, without an explanation being offered.

The second leg will take place on Wednesday at San Siro, and Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi will be relieved to have Lukaku available.

Saturday's apparent common sense decision from the FIGC was announced in a statement to Italian media, which announced Lukaku had been pardoned "in an exceptional and extraordinary way".

The FIGC statement added: "The principle of the fight against all forms of racism is a fundamental element of the sports system."

Thomas Tuchel thinks Bayern Munich resemble "a team that has played 70 or 80 games" after the lethargic Bavarians let more Bundesliga points slip away in a 3-1 defeat at Mainz.

Bayern looked likely to extend their lead over second-placed Borussia Dortmund to five points when Sadio Mane put them ahead, but an astonishing second-half collapse continued Tuchel's troubling start to life at the club.

Goals from Ludovic Ajorque, Leandro Barreiro and Aaron Martin dealt Tuchel his third loss in seven games at the helm, denting Bayern's hopes of an 11th consecutive league title.

Bayern have now gone four games without a win across all competitions, and Tuchel believes a lack of energy is responsible for their downturn.

"I don't think it's a technical or tactical problem," Tuchel said. "We look like we have tired legs, we're anything but fresh. It feels like we're playing in extra time every time we take to the pitch.

"It's very difficult to bring over new content or new ideas, because everyone is fighting with themselves right now.

"There are long phases in all the games where we're good, and then in the short phases where we're not. We're letting points slip through our fingers. It's going through our hands like sand.

"We have no energy. We look like a team that has played 70 or 80 games this season. We're missing physicality, intensity, the foundation that you always need."

Asked whether a lack of incentive was an issue for a group of players used to dominating the Bundesliga, Tuchel said: "I don't think it's down to a big motivational problem when it comes to an 11th or 12th title. 

"We have the best squad in the league, we have the biggest budget in the league, and it really is our expectation and demand to be title winners at the end of the season.

"But what comes with that are the things that are going against us, not just for the last three weeks, but for a while now. There's no sense of entitlement. We're playing without a sense of urgency.

"It feels like we're just stumbling a bit. We could have been two or three-nil up in this match, and we would have had a very different press conference, but we didn't do that. Then of course, we could have defended the goals, but we didn't do that either."

In all competitions, Bayern have now suffered as many defeats in seven games under Tuchel (three), as they did in 37 contests under his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann this season.

Asked if he felt responsible for Bayern's downturn despite his limited time with the players, Tuchel said: "I always find myself responsible, regardless of whether I've been here for one day, one month or one year. 

"We've lost a lot of points in the second half of the season and right now, we're not in a position to hit our top performance levels. I feel responsible, but ultimately, everyone is responsible."

Riyad Mahrez's hat-trick against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley ensured Manchester City's quest for a treble continued with a 3-0 win.

A resilient Blades defence was undone shortly before the break, Mahrez dispatching from the penalty spot after Daniel Jebbison's rash challenge on Bernardo Silva.

United's hopes of a second-half comeback were wiped away by the Algerian, with just six minutes separating his second and third efforts.

Also through to the Champions League semi-finals and five points behind Arsenal, whom they face on Wednesday, with a game in hand in the Premier League title race, City remain firmly in the hunt on three fronts.

The Blades had a glorious opportunity inside 90 seconds, John Egan flicking a header from a corner that found Iliman Ndiaye in space but he could only fire straight at Stefan Ortega.

Erling Haaland then had the ball in the back of the net after 15 minutes, smashing home from distance, but his celebrations were halted as the whistle had already blown for a foul, with Julian Alvarez then forcing a diving save from Wes Foderingham with his long-range curler.

An impressive defensive performance from the Championship side was undone four minutes before the break, Jebbison's clumsy challenge on Silva handing Mahrez an opportunity from the penalty spot, which he duly tucked into the bottom-right corner.

City's second came on the hour mark, Mahrez winning the ball at the halfway line from Max Lowe and marching straight through the Blades defence, which backed away and gifted him space to run into.

Mahrez completed his hat-trick six minutes later, firing home after Jack Grealish's cutback to put the result beyond any doubt and book City's spot in June's final.

What does it mean? City conquest continues

Pep Guardiola may continue to downplay City's chance of a winning the treble this season but it would take a brave man to bet against his side.

City never had to break a sweat in sealing a place in the showpiece against either Manchester United or Brighton and Hove Albion.

It caps off what has been a stellar week for City, who progressed past Bayern Munich in the Champions League and saw title rivals Arsenal slip up against Southampton in the Premier League.

Magical Mahrez

Though overshadowed by many of his attacking colleagues at City, the FA Cup is Mahrez's favoured competition with his hat-trick taking him to 11 direct goal involvements (nine goals, two assists) in his last nine matches.

Mahrez's treble was the first FA Cup semi-final hat-trick at Wembley and the first at this stage overall in the competition since Alex Dawson for Manchester United against Fulham in 1958.

Hidden Haaland

A tormenter of clubs across England and Europe this season, Sheffield United would have been relieved to have seen Haaland's involvement at Wembley heavily reduced.

The striker had just 12 touches of the ball, fewer than any starter for either team, with only one attempt, which was off target, during the game.

What's next?

City host Arsenal in what will billed as a potential title decider, while Sheffield United can seal promotion to the top-flight on the same day against West Brom.

Jordan Henderson hailed Liverpool's "reaction to the setbacks" in their narrow 3-2 Premier League victory over struggling Nottingham Forest.

Jurgen Klopp's side edged a five-goal thriller at Anfield on Saturday, despite twice being pegged back as strikes from Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White cancelled out goals from Diogo Jota.

Mohamed Salah's 70th-minute effort settled the contest, in which the hosts were twice caught out by long throw-ins, as they made it back-to-back wins.

Though acknowledging there is plenty of room for improvement, Henderson was pleased by his team-mates' character.

"The good thing is we kept going, not once, but twice, and we kept going and to find the winner is definitely a positive," the Reds captain told Sky Sports.

"But of course, we shouldn't be in that position in the first place with the experience on the pitch.

"We made it more difficult for ourselves. We could defend the long throw-ins a bit better, and conceding two from that is something we can work on for sure.

"But overall, I'm delighted with the reaction to the setbacks and to still get the winner.

"We knew the type of game it would be, and we had to be patient with the ball, wait for the right chances."

Meanwhile, Klopp celebrated his 100th league win at Anfield (in 144 games), with only Bob Paisley (131) and Bill Shankly (139) reaching a century in fewer matches.

The Reds boss knows his side must improve, telling BBC Sport: "We deserve the three points, which is the most important thing. I liked that we stayed in the game.

"In too many situations we couldn't clear properly, but apart from that I am really pleased with a lot of things.

"We gave away two goals too easy and in a game like this, you have to control possession. You don't have to force it, and sometimes we forced it."

On Jota, he added: "That's what goals can do, they give you a boost and confidence.

"He did miss a sitter [earlier on], which was the easiest out of them all, but the second goal was very special."

Unai Emery was "so happy" to see Aston Villa scramble a 1-1 draw at Brentford after losing World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to illness at half-time.

Sickly Argentina shot-stopper Martinez started the game at the Brentford Community Stadium but was replaced by Robin Olsen at the break.

When Olsen conceded in the 65th minute as Ivan Toney converted Bryan Mbeumo's cross, it was looking like being an afternoon to forget for sixth-placed Villa, but they rallied for what could be a priceless Premier League point.

Douglas Luiz slotted their 87th-minute leveller, and although Villa's five-match winning run ground to a halt, the result in west London was one that satisfied head coach Emery.

He told BBC Sport: "For 90 minutes we didn't control the game. It was a very difficult time. Only two teams have won here this season. Our game plan was to be strong in our mentality for 90 minutes.

"We didn't create big chances, but we were defending well. Our reaction in the last 15 minutes was very good."

Emery said his players must look to recover from a tough afternoon against the Bees in order to be at their sharpest for Tuesday's home game against Fulham.

"Brentford made it difficult," Emery added. "We are very demanding, but we have to understand the matches being difficult. I told the players I'm so happy with this draw because it was difficult.

"We can play better and we have to demand to play better for the next matches. Today here we tried to keep our game plan strong."

Emery made the point that Villa have set up the chance to earn a European place, and must now kick that ball over the line.

They have scored in all 19 of their Premier League games under Emery's leadership, which is the longest consecutive scoring run any team has had from the start of a manager's tenure in the competition's history.

"The most important thing was our reaction. Try to compete and be a candidate to play in Europe," Emery said. "We're there. Now is the key moment, the difficult moment, to get to the next step."

Regarding Martinez, Emery is hopeful the goalkeeper's discomfort will prove to be just a fleeting problem.

"Before the match, the last meal, he was feeling bad with his stomach," Emery said. "He started the match and played the first half."

By the break, Martinez "wasn't feeling good", said Emery, who added: "Hopefully he'll recover for the next match."

Carlos Alcaraz raced through to the Barcelona Open final as the defending champion set up a final showdown with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

With his 20th birthday approaching on May 5, world number two Alcaraz will have the chance on Sunday to land his ninth ATP title as a teenager.

Alcaraz crushed the hopes of first-time Barcelona semi-finalist Dan Evans, racing to a 6-2 6-2 victory over a player who was seeking to become the first British finalist at this tournament.

Earlier, Tsitsipas, who had not dropped serve en route to the semi-finals, had to dig deep for a 6-4 5-7 6-3 victory against Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian who beat Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo last week.

Greek star Tsitsipas bizarrely has a 0-9 record in finals at ATP 500 level, the tier at which this tournament sits, despite having won two of his six title matches in elite ATP 1000 events.

Alcaraz will start as a firm favourite in the final. He holds a 3-0 career head-to-head lead over Tsitsipas from their past meetings, including a three-set win in the Barcelona quarter-finals last year.

That was a stormy encounter, with Alcaraz taking exception to almost being hit by a shot from Tsitsipas at the end of the opening set, so the rematch could be one to savour.

"It's so special to play a final here in Barcelona, a tournament I love playing," Alcaraz said on Prime Video. "I came to watch this tournament when I was very, very young, and I played for this club when I was 12, 11. I love this club, I love this tournament, and it's so special to have the chance to lift the trophy here again.

"Last year [against Tsitsipas] we had a spicy match, but I know he's a really nice guy off the court."

At the BMW Open in Munich, it was much the same story on Saturday.

Defending champion Holger Rune, another 19-year-old with a birthday approaching, in his case on April 29, earned another shot at the title.

Rune set up a Sunday showdown against Botic van de Zandschulp, in what will be a repeat of last year's final.

A resilient Rune lived up to his top seeding by ending Christopher O'Connell's fine run, which included a win against Alexander Zverev at the last-16 stage.

The 6-3 6-2 outcome masked the fact Rune saved eight break points as unseeded world number 82 O'Connell threatened to make it a tighter contest on the scoreboard than it turned out to be.

Van de Zandschulp then scored a fine win in the second semi-final as the Dutch fourth seed got the better of American second seed Taylor Fritz, winning 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 

Last year's trophy match ended in disappointment when Van de Zandschulp retired due to chest pains during the first set, with Rune saying it was "probably the worst way to win a final".

Rune has three ATP titles to his name, with 27-year-old Van de Zandschulp yet to lift a singles trophy.

Xavi described 15-year-old Lamine Yamal as fearless after the winger became the youngest player to be included in Barcelona's squad for a competitive game.

Yamal, a La Masia product who will turn 16 in July, could become the youngest player to feature for Barca when they face Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday.

The Spain Under-19 international is already the youngest player to be named in an official Blaugrana matchday squad, but Xavi is confident he can make an impact if called upon.

"He is a player who can help us because he is talented," Xavi said on Saturday. "He has a lot of personality, he can play one-on-one, he is strong and I am convinced that he can help us.

"I have spoken with him and he is grateful and happy. If the circumstances arise that he can help us, he is prepared."

Asked if Yamal reminded him of any former Barca greats, Xavi said: "He's an innate talent.

"With the new generations, the difference from my era is that they have no fear. Lamine is different... he has attributes from various players, I don't see a direct comparison."

Mohamed Salah scored the winner as Liverpool edged out Nottingham Forest 3-2 in a five-goal Premier League thriller at Anfield on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's side were pegged back twice as former Red Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White cancelled out goals from Diogo Jota.

But Salah's 183rd Liverpool goal – moving him level with Robbie Fowler – sealed the points 20 minutes from time.

The Reds close the gap on fourth-placed Newcastle United to six points, having played one game more, while ensuring their opponents remain inside the relegation zone.

Keylor Navas came to Forest's rescue in the 26th minute with a tremendous reflex save to deny Virgil van Dijk's close-range header, while Williams thwarted Cody Gakpo on the line.

But the hosts broke through within two minutes of the restart. Forest failed to clear a corner and Fabinho's header back into the danger zone was flicked home by Jota.

Forest responded well and levelled four minutes later following a sweeping move that saw Gibbs-White find Williams, whose first-time shot deflected in via Andrew Robertson.

However, Robertson turned provider as Liverpool regained the advantage within four minutes, Jota taking advantage of sloppy defending to control his free-kick before drilling a volley past Navas.

The former Real Madrid goalkeeper did brilliantly to deny Jota a hat-trick before Forest levelled again, Gibbs-White's volley deflecting off Trent Alexander-Arnold and into the bottom corner.

But Salah edged the hosts back in front 20 minutes from time, reacting quickest to steer home Alexander-Arnold's free-kick.

Substitute Brennan Johnson almost rescued a point when he hit the crossbar, as the Reds held out for victory.