Gary Lineker clarifies Match of the Day bias after Liverpool defeat

Gary Lineker has dismissed accusations of bias against Nottingham Forest on Match of the Day following their win over Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. The former England striker addressed the claims made by Forest fans on the latest episode of The Rest is Football podcast, which he co-hosts with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

The club had a fantastic weekend, maintaining their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 victory over the Reds - their first win there since 1969. Despite the significance of the win, some fans were disappointed that the match wasn't the first feature on Saturday's Match of the Day, instead being overshadowed by Aston Villa's comeback against Everton.

Lineker said: "So they complained a lot and they were on again 'they're gonna have to say something nice about us, they'll hate that' which is quite fun because one of our producers as you know, Finchy, is a big Forest fan and our floor manager Marco is another Forest fan."

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Lineker was asked by Richards how much say he has in the running order of the show, to which the former England great revealed that it was in fact Forest who were originally planned to lead Saturday's (September 14) show following talks with editor Richard Hughes.

"If you're picking the game of the day, that probably just edged Forest, which we thought would definitely lead, but that went second," Lineker added. Forest currently sit seventh in the Premier League table and are one of only five teams yet to lose a game this season.

As for Arne Slot's side, it was their first defeat of the season before their Champions League fixture with AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday.