The match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool is scheduled to take place at the City Ground on Saturday at midday. Both teams are confident heading into the match since they won their respective Premier League games over the week.
On Tuesday, the Tricky Trees were able to hold Brighton & Hove Albion to a goalless draw. This occurred exactly one day after Jurgen Klopp’s team defeated West Ham United by a score of one goal to zero.
Our Match Preview: Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a Ruben Neves penalty to defeat tenacious Nottingham Forest last weekend. Steve Cooper’s team showed off their improved defensive toughness by holding Brighton to a scoreless stalemate at the Amex on the South Coast.
On a fruitful evening for the Tricky Trees, Leandro Trossard’s effort smacked the post and kept goalie Dean Henderson on the move. Unfortunately for fantasy football managers worldwide, his Premier League place is still vulnerable.
Nottingham Forest had lost eight straight Premier League games but moved off the bottom of the table against Leicester City.
Who can drop Cooper’s team back down to 20th against Leeds United later on Thursday. As the division’s joint second-worst goal scorers with only seven strikes to their name, only Wolves and their pitiful five goals rank lower in that category.
Cooper insisted that taking a point away from the Amex was a step in the right direction for his team.
A total of four points from five home games represents the worst record in the division thus far, and the clouds are slowly lifting for Liverpool. Forest fans can take heart from the fact that six of their team’s seven top-flight goals this season have come at the City Ground.
Liverpool has scored first in their last two games and held on for three points in each one, much to the delight of fans who have grown accustomed to seeing their side concede early this season.
However, their injury problems are not likely to get any better any time soon. Darwin Nunez put on his best performance in a Liverpool jersey to date before leaving the game before the hour mark.
In the 22nd minute, he directed a downward header past Lukasz Fabianski, but Alisson Becker had to save a Jarrod Bowen penalty just before halftime. West Ham struggled mightily but ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield, sharing Manchester City’s misfortune.
As a result, Liverpool moved up to seventh place in the standings with 16 points from 10 games, closing the gap to fourth-place Chelsea to just four points. Even though Klopp’s team has now won three straight games in all competitions.
Even though that lone victory came less than two weeks ago when they defeated Rangers by a score of 7, the German may be concerned about his team’s record after six away games.
Speaking of 1-0 victories, Diogo Jota’s goal was all it took for Liverpool to defeat Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarterfinals last year, and this weekend’s match will be their first in the Premier League since April 1999.
When Michael Owen and Jamie Redknapp scored for the Merseyside team to secure a 2-2 draw.
Our Team News: Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
As a result of injuries sustained against Brighton in midweek, Jack Colback (back), Moussa Niakhate (thigh), and Omar Richards (calf) will all be out for Nottingham Forest once again, while Harry Toffolo will be out for at least the remainder of the game.
Renan Lodi’s ankle strain has been considered minor; thus, he may be available to start at left back in place of Serge Aurier, allowing Neco Williams to go to his preferred right back position. Jesse Lingard’s starting spot is on the line this week.
Emmanuel Dennis and ex-Liverpool youth product Taiwo Awoniyi both vying for a recall. Lewis O’Brien may also return from sickness and fight for a starting spot.
Because of the calf injury, he got in the last minutes of Liverpool’s match against Manchester City, Jota will not be able to help his team repeat their FA Cup victory at the City Ground this time around.
With Luis Diaz still out from a knee injury, Arthur (thigh), Naby Keita (thigh), Joel Matip (calf), and Ibrahima Konate (muscle), Klopp has few viable choices on the left side of the defense.
Klopp should not be afraid to make changes here before a critical Champions League clash against Ajax, and the inclusion of Harvey Elliott’s fresh legs might put Mohamed Salah in jeopardy.
- Nottingham Forest Possible Starting Lineup: Henderson, Williams, Cook, McKenna, Lodi, Mangala, Yates, Freuler, Gibbs-White, Dennis, Johnson.
- Liverpool Possible Starting Lineup: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Salah, Fabinho, Thiago, Carvalho, Nunez, Firmino.
Our Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Liverpool
Since Cooper shifted to a four-man defense, Forest’s defensive play has improved, but their offensive flaws are still very much there and might cost them against Liverpool’s resiliency.
Even though Klopp’s squad will likely need some time to regain their form and confidence, the Merseyside giants should be able to pull off the win with relative ease.