Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis sat in front of his giant TV screen in the City Ground directors' box, glued to a night of Premier League theatre.
Whether Marinakis' eyes were fixed on the television screen or on the events taking place on the pitch in front of him, he was watching the fulfillment of his burning ambition of taking Forest above the top-flight powerhouses, in this case Premier League leaders Liverpool. .
This was a night that had it all – from the fantastically fiery atmosphere with Forest fans living the high life, to a brilliant defensive display from Nuno Espirito Santo's side, which was only undermined by a genius double substitution from Liverpool manager Arne Slott that almost turned into a goal. . Defeat to victory.
The final result was a 1-1 draw, leaving Liverpool six points clear of Forest with a game in hand, a Premier League upset that showed they fully deserved their place at the top of the table.
For 66 minutes it looked as if Forest were about to deal Liverpool their second knockout blow of the season following September's win at Anfield, the only league defeat suffered by Sloat's side this season.
It was a classic Forest first half, and a Nuno classic, as they took the lead in style after eight minutes, Anthony Elanga slotting a pass beyond Virgil van Dijk into the path of striker Chris Wood, enjoying a golden season, to finish in 13th place. Goal of the season.
At the heart of this tremendous effort by Forest was goalkeeper Matz Sels, who produced a heroic performance as Liverpool rallied strongly late, along with the powerful duo of Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic.
If there was a more formidable central defensive partnership in the Premier League, it must be a fearsome sight.
Both Murillo and Milinkovic are highly skilled, but they have a steely resolve and a 'won't pass' attitude that gives Forest a counter-attacking flair, with Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi on the wings and Wood in the middle, providing a platform to flourish.
