Liverpool were left cursing goalkeeper Matz Sels as they drew 1-1 away at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night. The Reds came from behind to earn a share of the spoils and maintain their six-point lead at the top of the table, but they could have perhaps had all three points if not for the Belgian shot-stopper.

The 32-year-old, who is currently leading the way for the Premier League Golden Glove with nine clean sheets from 21 appearances, made five saves against Liverpool as Arne Slot’s side peppered his goal.

Diogo Jota came off the bench to score the Reds’ equaliser, but he was also left cursing Sels after the final whistle.

READ MORE: 'I'm not happy' - Diogo Jota makes Liverpool frustration clear after touchline talks with coaches

READ MORE: Chris Kavanagh leaves Arne Slot and Liverpool livid as Dominik Szoboszlai gesture spotted

“I was telling that to my previous coaches there at Wolves – I think he made two great saves,” he told TNT Sports. “Obviously you want to do better [in front of goal] but I think he was good as well.”

Liverpool actually played an inadvertent role in Sels’ move to Nottingham Forest in February 2024.

The Belgian joined the club in a £5m deal from Strasbourg on transfer deadline day as they desperately scoured the market for a new goalkeeper, with the switch coming to fruition after they had a £15m offer for Caoimhin Kelleher rejected by the Reds.

Forest tried again for the Irishman last summer, offering £7m plus back-up goalkeeper Matt Turner in exchange. Unsurprisingly, that too was knocked back by Liverpool. But given Sels’ performances for Forest this season, those of a Reds persuasion would be forgiven for wondering why - as good as Kelleher has proven himself to be - they again tried to sign the shot-stopper.

It would perhaps be a surprise if they made a third effort to sign Kelleher this month. But with Forest currently on track to qualify for next season’s Champions League - and with Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili already confirmed to be joining Liverpool in a £29m switch from Valencia - who is to say what could happen next in the summer with the Irishman suspected to be granted an Anfield exit.

Goalkeeper had proven to be something of a problem position for Forest since winning promotion back to the Premier League in 2022. They have signed nine senior shot-stoppers over the past two and a half years - though this includes the re-signing of Wayne Hennessy on the eve of facing the Reds earlier this week.

Dean Henderson, Keylor Navas and Hennessy all turned out for the Tricky Trees during the 2022/23 season. The former pair would join on loan from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and January respectively, while the Welshman and Adnan Kanuric both signed on free transfers.

Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos then joined in the summer of 2023, both enjoying stints at number one, before Sels' arrival last February.

And with the pair then departing the club last summer, Carlos Miguel was brought in in July - prior to their second Kelleher bid - to provide competition to Sels.

Evidently, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. In Sels, Forest have got themselves a keeper.

But after placing two bids for Kelleher that fell well below Liverpool’s £25m-£30m asking price in the past 12 months, only time will tell if Forest still feel the need to come back and make a third attempt to sign the Reds’ highly-regarded back-up goalkeeper given their own number one's displays this season.

If not, with Kelleher still desperate to become a first-choice goalkeeper and expected to move on at the end of the campaign as a result, it remains unclear where he will be plying his trade next season if such an opening is not on offer at either Liverpool or his long-term admirers Forest.