Nottingham Forest has emerged as one of the season’s most impressive teams, currently occupying 3rd place in the Premier League standings. With a five-point advantage over 5th place, they are in a strong position to qualify for European competitions, possibly even the Champions League.
Forest is riding a wave of excellent form, having secured six consecutive league wins against Manchester United (3-2), Aston Villa (2-1), Brentford (2-0), Tottenham (1-0), Everton (2-0), and Wolverhampton (3-0). Last weekend, they continued their momentum with an FA Cup fixture against Luton Town.
Liverpool, on the other hand, remains a dominant force in European football and is the clear frontrunner for the Premier League title. Sitting at the top of the table with a game in hand, the Reds hold a six-point lead over their closest competitor. Liverpool has been nearly flawless in the league, suffering only one defeat this season—a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in mid-September.
Recent league victories over Tottenham (6-3), Leicester (3-1), and West Ham (5-0) showcased their offensive prowess, although they were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United in their most recent league outing. Earlier this week, Liverpool fell 1-0 to Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final first leg. In the Champions League, Liverpool was unstoppable in the group stage, winning all six matches. They also hosted Accrington in the FA Cup last weekend.
Nottingham Forest remains without midfielders Danilo and Sangaré, who are still sidelined with fitness issues. In their previous league match, Morgan Gibbs-White (4 goals, 3 assists) and Chris Wood (12 goals) both scored and are expected to start again. The attack will likely also feature Anthony Elanga (3 goals, 4 assists) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (2 goals, 2 assists), while goalkeeper Matz Sels continues to hold the fort.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be missing backup defenders Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah, while midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is doubtful. Despite speculation about his future, Mohamed Salah remains a standout performer with 18 goals and 13 assists in the league, and he will lead an attack that is the most potent in the Premier League.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest has maintained a pattern of low-scoring matches, with 19 of their last 20 home games featuring three or fewer goals. Similarly, Liverpool’s last 18 away league games have stayed under the 3.5-goal mark. These trends point to a close and competitive encounter.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool
