Nottingham Forest travel to Anfield this weekend, a venue that they have not been victorious at in 24 attempts. The visitors went toe to toe with Liverpool last campaign, and even beat them at the City Ground, with a 1-0 score line.
Liverpool
We are nine matches into the 2023/24 Premier League season and the Reds sit in fourth place on 20 points. Liverpool have only been defeated once this season which came in the 2-1 loss away to Spurs, when they had to play with nine men. Klopp's side have thrived in the final third, scoring 20 goals in nine games, with The Egyptian King, Mohammed Salah, contributing to 11 of those. They have also scored in every game this season, whilst conceding an average of just 1 per game.
Jurgen Klopp will be pleased with how his side has started the new Premier League season, especially considering he completed an entire midfield overhaul during the summer. The German boss has added individuals with specialised skillsets and their profiles can provide cover for one another. Yet the commonality is that, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo all possess out of possession relentlessness and hunger, which fits the Liverpool blueprint.
Anfield is a fortress for the Reds and they have not lost in their last 16 matches at home. Winning has become an expectation and they have a 100% win record whilst hosting this season, scoring 11 goals and conceding twice in four matches. We witnessed Liverpool's most recent home win last weekend in the Merseyside Derby, as they beat Everton 2-0. Ashley Young was shown a red card in the first half, but the hosts showed they can pick up three points whilst performing well below par. It took a 76th minute Mo Salah penalty to break the deadlock and he scored his brace with minutes to go.
Nottm Forest
Steve Cooper has done a remarkable job at Nottingham Forest and they are currently in 15th place. That may not seem impressive on first glance, but they have only been defeated by the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal this season. In attack, they have struggled at times and only score an average of 1.11 goals per match, but defensively they concede 1.33 on average. A draw is a common result for the Garibaldis, as they have tied four of their last five matches.
It is clear that Forest are a difficult side to beat and that is a testament to the boss' ability to manage the large squad he has at his disposal. Cooper has implemented a hard working, resolute approach and the system is built around those defensive foundations. Whether it has been Chris Wood or Taiwo Awoniyi in the centre forward position, the game plan seems to be to play directly into them, so that the wide players and midfielders can either regain/retain possession up the field and turn it into an attacking scenario, which Morgan Gibbs-White particularly excels at.
last time out, Forest were held to a 2-2 draw by Luton Town. Chris Wood scored a second half brace and it looked as though they were cruising towards a vital three points. Nevertheless, Luton scored two very avoidable goals just before time and they were caused by a lack of organisation. The end result was a massive blow for the Welsh boss and his side.
Verdict?
Nottingham Forest have shown that they can hold their own amongst the best in the Premier League already this season and they will attempt to frustrate the hosts from the off, in an attempt to silence the Anfield atmosphere. Chris Wood's performance and ability to hold up the ball might just determine the proceedings.
That said, Liverpool should win their fifth home game this season and apply pressure to Spurs at the top of the Premier League.
The final prediction is Liverpool 2-1 Nottingham Forest.
