Liverpool will host Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday, looking to get their stuttering campaign back on track.
Liverpool are coming into this game vs Nottingham Forest on the back of five defeats from their last six Premier League matches. Competing for the Premier League title seems beyond the reigning Premier League champions now despite their big-name signings, and they will be hoping to secure a respectable finish in the Premier League.
The Reds need to pick up points against these opposition at home, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly after the international break. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are in poor form as well. The Tricky Trees have lost four of their last five matches in the Premier League.
They will look to bounce back strongly and pull off an upset. Nottingham Forest managed to beat Liverpool at Anfield last season. Given the way the home team has performed in recent weeks, the visitors will fancy their chances once again. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Arne Slot will be without Alisson Becker, Giovanni Leoni, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, and Florian Wirtz this weekend. Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal.
Calvin Ramsay and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate will form the central defensive partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk.
As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai will start in the middle of the park. They will look to control the game from the deep and add defensive cover.
Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak will start on the flanks here. They will look to add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Hugo Ekitike will lead the line for Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest this weekend..
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mamardashvilli; Ramsay, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Ekitike, Isak
Nottingham Forest
Angus Gunn, Douglas Luiz, Ola Aina, Chris Wood, Dilane Bakwa, and Oleksandr Zinchenko will miss out for the away side this weekend. However, Callum Hudson-Odoi is fit and available to take on Liverpool.
Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Matz Sels in goal. Neco Williams and Nicolo Savona will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out going forward. At the heart of the defence, Murillo will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahim Sangare will add physicality and drive to the side. Elliot Anderson will start alongside him in the midfield pivot, and the English international will look to add defensive cover and control.
Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity and goals to the side in the final third. Dan Ndoye and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward.
Igor Jesus will lead the line for Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Key Stats
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Liverpool have picked up three wins from their last six matches vs Nottingham Forest.
- Liverpool have lost five of their last six Premier League matches.
- Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Nottingham Forest have scored as many goals in their three Premier League games under Sean Dyche (5) as they had in their first eight of the season under Nuno Espírito Santo (4 goals) and Ange Postecoglou (1 goal) beforehand. Indeed, Forest are averaging more shots-per-game (13.0) and xG-per-game (1.6) under Dyche than they were under either of his predecessors in 2025-26.
Player to Watch
Alexander Isak
The Swedish International has recovered from his injury problem, and he is expected to be handed a start here. It will be interesting to see if he can perform at full throttle and showcase why Liverpool paid a club record fee for him.
There is no doubt that Isak is a top-class player, and he will be desperate to make his mark in the game. He will look to help create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. Isak is our key player to watch out for, and he could be the difference between the two teams.
Prediction
Liverpool 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Both teams are in desperate need of a victory here for very different reasons. Liverpool are eighth in the Premier League table, and they will be hoping to close on the UEFA Champions League positions. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest are 19th in the table.
The visitors will be fighting for survival this season. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Neither side are in particularly good form, and they could end up cancelling each other out in a draw here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate between these two sides.
