Liverpool ended their winless run with a win in the Merseyside Derby, and they will look to close in on the league leaders Tottenham Hotspur with a victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds are currently fourth in the table, and a win here would boost their confidence. They picked up a 5-1 win over Toulouse in the UEFA Europa League during the midweek, and they will be reasonably confident of grinding out a positive result here.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are 15th in the league table, and they are winless in the last five league matches. They will look to steer clear of the relegation zone and a positive result here will give them a huge morale boost.
Nottingham Forest managed to beat Liverpool in the Premier League last season, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset at Anfield. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without the services of Andrew Robertson, who is expected to return next year after picking up a serious shoulder injury during the international break. Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara will return to action next month, and Curtis Jones is suspended following his red card against Tottenham.
Liverpool are likely to shape up in their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas will be deployed as the full-backs here, and the two players will look to help out defensively and protect the central defenders. Ibrahima Konate will start in the central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk.
In the middle of the park, Wataru Endo is likely to be deployed as the defensive midfielder, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai adding creativity and drive to the side alongside him. Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead the line for the hosts with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Nottingham Forest
The visitors have a number of injury issues heading into this game. Callum Hudson-Odoi is sidelined with a thigh injury, Felipe has picked up a knee injury, and he will return to action next month.
Divock Origi, Nuno Tavares, and Taiwo Awoniyi have all picked up groin injuries and are sidelined for this game. Gonzalo Montiel remains a long-term injury problem for Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation as well, with Matt Turner in goal. Serge Aurier and Harry Toffolo Will start as the full-backs, and they will look to protect the defensive unit. Willy Boly and Murillo will start in central defence.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga will be deployed as the wingers here, and the players will look to add creativity from the wide areas. Chris Wood is set to lead the line for the side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Turner; Aurier, Murillo, Boly, Toffolo; Sangare, Dominguez, Mangala; Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have drawn their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool are undefeated in 19 of their last 20 matches in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest have been drawing at both half-time and full-time in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Seven goals have been scored in the last three matches between these two sides.
- Liverpool have scored 15 goals in the last six matches across all competitions.
Key Player
Mohamed Salah
The 31-year-old Egyptian international has been in fine form for Liverpool this season, and he has eight goals and three assists to his name in his last ten appearances across all competitions. He will look to continue his impressive run of form and get on the scoresheet here.
Salah is more than just a goalscorer, and he will help Liverpool break down the opposition defence as well. While his future remains uncertain, there is no stopping the Liverpool talisman, who remains their best player.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Liverpool are undoubtedly the better team here, and they should be able to grind out all three points. The absence of star striker Taiwo Awoniyi will be a major blow for Nottingham Forest and they will struggle to break down the Liverpool defence. This is likely to be a close contest but the home side have enough quality to come out on top. A narrow 2-1 win for Liverpool is on the cards here.
