Liverpool will take on Nottingham Forest at City Ground on Saturday, looking to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Despite a number of injury problems, Jurgen Klopp will demand a strong performance from his Liverpool players when they lock horns with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool have picked up five wins from their last six league matches, and they will be considered as the favourites heading into this game. They have an impressive record against Nottingham Forest as well.
On the other hand, the home team are 17th in the league table with just one win from their last six league games. They could easily be dragged into the relegation zone if they continue to falter. It remains to be seen whether they can take advantage of Liverpool’s injury problems and grind out a positive result at home.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
The home team will be without the services of Chris Wood, Nuno Tavares, Ola Aina, Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangare. Wood and Sangare are ruled out with thigh and knee injuries, respectively. The others have minor knocks, and they are expected to return later this month.
Nottingham Forest are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Matz Sels in goals. Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo will start as the full-backs and they will look to protect the central defense and keep things compact at the back. Felipe will form the central defensive partnership alongside Murillo.
In the midfield pivot, Danilo will start alongside Nicolas Dominguez. The two players will look to protect the central defence and break up opposition attacks. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start in the wide areas, and the two players will look to create goalscoring opportunities with their pace and trickery.
Morgan Gibbs-White will start as the attacking midfielder and he will look to add creativity to the side. Finally, Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi will lead the line for Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Felipe, Murillo, Toffolo; Danilo, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi
Liverpool
Liverpool have a number of injury problems, and they will be without Joel Matip, who is ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Diogo Jota has a knee injury, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is still recovering from his ligament problem along with Alisson Becker, who has a hamstring injury.
Stefan Bajcetic has recovered from his knock, but he is unlikely to be risked anytime soon. Ryan Gravenberch has been ruled out for a couple of matches with ligament damage, while Thiago Alcantara is sidelined for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest, with Joe Gomez and Andrew Robertson taking the full-back positions. They will look to keep things compact at the back and help out in the attack. Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
Alexis Mac Allister will start in the anchor role, and he will look to control the tempo of the game. Harvey Elliott and Bobby Clark will add creativity and control to the side. Conor Bradley could start in the right side of the attack, providing cover to the full back and helping out in the attack.
Luis Dias will reprise his role as the left sided winger, with Cody Gakpo leading the line. Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Wataru Endo, and Dominik Szoboszlai are close to recovering fully, but they might not be risked here.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Mac Allister, Clark; Bradley, Gakpo, Diaz
Key Stats
- Liverpool have scored at least three goals in six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have won seven of their last eight matches in the Premier League.
- Ten goals have been scored in the last four matches between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.
- Nottingham Forest are winless in five of the last six league matches.
- The home team have conceded 12 goals in the last six matches across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Luis Diaz
Liverpool will need the Colombian international to step up and get on the scoresheet here. In the potential absence of Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, they are short in the attacking department. So, the 27-year-old will be the key player for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest.
He will look to add pace and penetration to the side from the flanks, and it remains to be seen whether he can continue is impressive run of form. Diaz has been outstanding in the recent weeks, scoring four goals and picking up two assists in his last eight appearances for the club. He will look to extend that run now
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool
Nottingham Forest will be desperate for all three points against Liverpool, and they are likely to put up a fight. The Reds have a depleted squad because of injuries and they will struggle to grind out our result here.
This is likely to be an evenly matched contest, with both teams cancelling each other out and sharing the spoils. A goal scoring draw is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts Nottingham Forest and Liverpool to play out a 1-1 stalemate.