Jota nets winner as Liverpool edge Forest in FA Cup quarters to set up Man City clash

Diogo Jota scored a late winner to edge Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday and set up a semifinal clash against Manchester City.

Forrest, who are ninth in the Championship, knocked out Premier League sides Arsenal and Leicester City to reach Sunday's quarterfinal clash with Liverpool, and it looked as though another cup shock could have been on the cards at the City Ground before Jota's strike sent Steve Cooper's side crashing out the competition.

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The Portugal international netted the winner on 77 minutes with a diving volley to poke a crossed ball past opposing goalkeeper Ethan Horvath.

Liverpool will now make another trip to Wembley for the semifinals next month where they will face City, who ran out 4-1 winners at Southampton in the competition earlier on Sunday.

The result means Jurgen Klopp's side remain in the hunt for a quadruple after they lifted the Carabao Cup trophy last month. Liverpool are also through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and stand just a point behind City in the Premier League table.

Forest left 97 seats vacant to honour the fans who died in the tragedy at the Hillsborough Stadium in April 1989 when the two sides last met in the competition.

A much-changed Liverpool struggled to create chances in the opening period, and survived another scare early in the second when Keinan Davis almost squeezed the ball home, but away goalkeeper Alisson recovered well to smother it.

The home side continued to take the game to Liverpool, with Philip Zinckernagel missing the best Forest chance of the night moments before Jota pounced 12 minutes from time to poke home the winner, breaking hearts all around the City Ground.

It was anything but a deserved victory for Liverpool, who were restricted to mostly efforts from distance by Forest, but Jota's clinical finish at the crucial moment made all the difference, meaning they remain in with a shot of winning four trophies this season.

"It was obviously a tough game," Jota told ITV Sport. "They [Forest] are a great team and play with lots of intensity and they gave us a proper fight.

"They gave us a proper challenge and their fans were outstanding. But we are in the semi-finals. It [City] is another tough game. One more. There are still a lot of games before then."

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.