Liverpool face Nottingham Forest at Anfield
Liverpool host Nottingham Forest in their second home outing of the Premier League season on Saturday, 14th September at 3:00 pm UK time. The Reds are in terrific form and will be looking to pick up where they left off before the international break, as they commenced the campaign with three successive wins in the English topflight including a 3-0 rout of Manchester United.
Arne Slot’s men are in superb form and have shown that they can give Arsenal and Manchester City a run for their money in the Premier League. Their victory at Old Trafford was a testament to that as a quality team like United’s was comfortably dismantled by a tactically adept Liverpool side.
The Nottingham fixture should be a far easier game for Liverpool, who will look to pick up three more points and keep another clean sheet to continue as the only team yet to concede a goal so far in the Premier League.
Team News
Liverpool
Liverpool prodigy Harvey Elliott was hampered by a fractured foot whilst on international duty with the English U21 side and is expected to miss up to six weeks of action. Therefore, he will be a certain miss for the visit of Nottingham to Merseyside. Curtis Jones is also a doubt for the clash due to a knock, as per Fotmob.
Federico Chiesa, however, could make his debut in front of the Anfield faithful having featured for Italy over the course of the international break to regain enough match fitness to be available in time for the Reds, whose Champions League campaign will also get underway during the week.
Mohamed Salah will be the focus of attention for Liverpool as he has struck three goals and provided as many assists so far in the Premier League. His contract talks are expected to progress in the right direction in due course and that could provide the Egyptian international with even more motivation to guide his team to yet another win.
Predicted Playing XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Diaz, Szoboszlai, Salah; Jota
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest are currently stationed ninth in the Premier League. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side earned a point last time when they faced his former recruits Wolverhampton Wanderers. Not much has changed for them on the fitness front between then and now, mainly due to a large number of players not being called up for international duty.
Willy Boly and Danilo are their only absentees. The duo is expected to be ruled out until late October and January 2025, respectively, so there is absolutely no chance for them to feature against Liverpool at Anfield.
One player who will play and be key to their chances of getting something out of the trip to Merseyside will be Chris Wood. The New Zealander has scored twice this season in the Premier League and is Nottingham’s top goal-scorer.
Predicted Playing XI (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Anderson, Sangare; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood
Key stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten on home soil against Nottingham Forest for over 50 years. Their last defeat came in 1969 and since then, they have enjoyed a streak of 28 matches without defeat against Saturday’s opposition.
- Arne Slot could become the first manager in the history of the Premier League to oversee his side keeping four successive clean sheets in his first four matches in charge of the team.
- Liverpool have scored thrice or more often against Nottingham Forest at Anfield in each of their previous five league meetings.
Match deciding duel
Virgil van Dijk vs Chris Wood
Chris Wood is the go-to source of goals for Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest. The 32-year-old will have to be tightly marked by Virgil van Dijk, who is himself a handful physically and has what it takes to contain the striker inside the box.
A win for Liverpool would come at the back off a solid defensive unit and their captain will need to lead the way from the back against a player that has struck twice from close range in three Premier League outings so far.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest have not lost a game so far this season but the visit to Anfield could break their unbeaten start to the campaign. They have conceded only twice so far in the Premier League, so Liverpool might not be able to walk in the park in a physically tasking Saturday afternoon clash.
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However, they have enough ammunition to break their opponents down and once again, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz could be on target for the Reds in a hard-earned win.
