Image Source: Alamy Stock Photo
2024/25 English Premier League
Matchday 21
Nottingham Forest v Liverpool
City Ground
West Bridgford, England
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Kick-off is at 22h00 CAT
Premier League leaders Liverpool would do well not to underestimate Nottingham Forest when they lock horns at the City Ground on Tuesday, January 14.
The Tricky Trees are the only team to have beaten the Reds this season and they are flying high after winning their last six matches on the trot.
A 3-0 victory over Wolves on January 6 saw Nuno Espirito Santo's side go level with Arsenal (2nd) on 40 points in third place, putting them just six points off the league summit.
The Gunners dropped points for the second time in five games after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton on January 4, while Chelsea extended their winless run to four matches with 1-1 stalemate at Crystal Palace which left them four points adrift of Forest in fourth position.
The Merseyside giants also only managed to claim a point last time out after sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, but they remain unbeaten in 15 games since losing 1-0 to the Nottinghamshire outfit on September 14.
Image Source: Alamy Stock Photo
Nuno has an almost fully-fit squad at his disposal, with just Ibrahim Sangare (thigh) missing out, while Arne Slot only has two players unavailable for selection. Joe Gomez is ruled out with a thigh injury and Darwin Nunez serves a one-match suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards.
Nuno watched his team clear the first hurdle in the FA Cup on January 11 as they beat Luton 2-0 in the third round and he believes the result will continue to breed confidence in his squad.
"It is very important to keep the momentum, the spirit and the habit going. It is always nice when we go to tomorrow (Tuesday) with a smile and prepare for a tough game [against Liverpool]. If we are happy, it is easier," the Portuguese said.
Slot admits he viewed the 1-0 loss to Forest at Anfield as a "shock result" at the time, but insists the opposition are being rewarded for the good job done by Nuno this season.
"I think they already showed in retrospect how good of a team they are. Leading up to that game I think they had two draws and one win," the Dutchman said.
"In general, I think when Liverpool loses a home game that is something we don't expect. I think in that moment of time I also saw the stat that Virgil [van Dijk] played 100 games for Liverpool and only lost [twice at Anfield].
"So, for us to lose then on that day was for me hard to take, as you probably experienced. Now looking back at it and seeing where they are in the league it's not been as such a shock result as I thought it was back then. They had a very good game plan."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Forest wins - 2
Liverpool wins - 3
Draws - 0
Premier League Matchday 21 fixtures:
Tuesday, January 14
21h30: Brentford v Manchester City
21h30: West Ham United v Fulham
21h30: Chelsea v Bournemouth
22h00: Nottingham Forest v Liverpool
Wednesday, January 15
21h30: Everton v Aston Villa
21h30: Leicester City v Crystal Palace
21h30: Newcastle United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
22h00: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
Thursday, January 16
21h30: Ipswich Town v Brighton & Hove Albion
22h00: Manchester United v Southampton
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