Liverpool and Nottingham Forest will be eager to return to winning ways and kick-start their Premier League campaigns when they clash at Anfield on Saturday.
Gameweek 2 of the 2026/27 Premier League season will continue on Saturday with four games. The latest round of fixtures will begin on Friday with the game between Crystal Palace and Manchester City before the action on Saturday kicks off with Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Liverpool would have hoped for a better way to begin the Andoni Iraola era than a 2-2 draw, where the point was salvaged with one of the final kicks in the game. The Merseyside outfit lacked bite in the final third and looked defensively vulnerable throughout the game. However,
Dominik Szoboszlai scored from the spot deep into injury time to get something from the match, though the game created more questions than solutions. However, Liverpool fans will be pleased with the news that the team’s attack will get a significant boost soon, as Bradley Barcola will arrive from Paris Saint-Germain in a big-money deal before Tuesday’s summer transfer deadline.
On the other hand, Oliver Glasner is already under pressure at Nottingham Forest, as his men have lost their first two games of the 2026/27 season. Both defeats came against Leeds United, with the Whites clinching a 1-0 win in the Premier League opener before securing a 2-0 victory in the EFL Cup second round.
With the Tricky Trees yet to score in two games, there are some serious concerns about the state of Glasner’s team. The Austrian tactician has already asked for patience, having said he is “no messiah” in the wake of his team’s struggles at the onset of the 2026/27 campaign. However, things do not get any easier, with Liverpool at Anfield up next.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Nottingham Forest cruise to a 3-0 win, with Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Morgan Gibbs-White finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Andoni Iraola has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Liverpool head coach will be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Apart from Joe Gomez, whose muscular issue will keep him in the treatment room for a few more days, the other players are long-term absentees. Jayden Danns is recovering from a thigh issue, while Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley have been dealing with long-term knee injuries. Hugo Ekitike is the most notable player who is unavailable due to his achilles complaint.
Alisson Becker is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The backline will feature Jeremie Frimpong, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in the double pivot, with Alexis Mac Allister missing out again. Florian Wirtz will reprise the no. 10 role, with Daniel Munoz and Cody Gakpo being the two wide attackers. Finally, Alexander Isak will lead the line for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Munoz, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
Nottingham Forest
Unlike his counterpart in the Liverpool dugout, Oliver Glasner has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Nottingham Forest manager will be without only two first-team players on Saturday.
Glasner has been sweating over the fitness of Neco Williams (knock) and Morgan Gibbs-White (knee), but both players should be fit and available to take on Liverpool. However, Nicolo Savona (knee) and Ryan Yates (muscular) remain in the treatment room.
Matz Sels is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Nottingham Forest lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Ousmane Diomande, Nikola Milenkovic, and Murillo. Meanwhile, Ola Aina and Neco Williams will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Xaver Schlager should line up alongside Ibrahim Sangare in the central areas, providing a solid base in the middle of the park. Finally, Igor Jesus will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack, with Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye completing the numbers in the offensive unit. So, new signing Liam Delap will be a backup option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sels; Diomande, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Sangare, Williams; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Jesus
Key Stats
- Liverpool have lost their last two Premier League home games vs Nottingham Forest, more than they had in their previous 30 (W24 D5 L1). They have never lost three successive league matches against the Tricky Trees at Anfield. Since Nottingham Forest’s return to the Premier League in 2022, no side has won more league games against Liverpool than the Tricky Trees (3).
- Liverpool have won their first home game in 12 of the last 13 Premier League seasons, drawing the other 1-1 with Crystal Palace in 2022/23. The Reds have not lost their first Anfield match of a league campaign since 2003/04 (1-2 vs Chelsea), remaining unbeaten in 22 since (W17 D5).
- Nottingham Forest have won their opening away game in just one of the last eight league seasons (D3 L4), with that win coming at Southampton in 2024/25. However, the Tricky Trees won three of their final four Premier League games on the road in the 2025/26 campaign (L1).
- Liverpool have failed to win any of their five most recent Premier League games (D3 L2), last enduring a longer winless run between May and September 2012.
- Nottingham Forest have scored in their last ten Premier League away games, the longest ongoing run in the division, netting 15 goals across their five most recent games on the road (3 per game).
Player to Watch
Cody Gakpo
While Alexander Isak, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Igor Jesus were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Cody Gakpo as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
The Dutch attacker had nine shot involvements against Newcastle United (6 shots, 3 chances created), the most of any player in Gameweek 1 of this season’s Premier League. Gakpo has only had more in one league game for Liverpool (8 shots, 2 chances created vs West Ham United in April 2024).
For large periods against Newcastle United, he looked like the only player capable of creating a moment of genius and punishing the Newcastle United defence. So, despite widespread speculation surrounding his future, the Dutchman remains a pivotal figure in the final third for Liverpool.
Prediction
Liverpool 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest will take some tips from Newcastle United’s performance last week and produce a physically imposing performance to disrupt Liverpool’s attacking moves. However, they have shown little killer instinct and solidity, which the home side will take advantage of this weekend.
While Nottingham Forest may still find a way to trouble Alisson Becker, they may not have enough quality to take anything from Saturday’s game. On the flip side, with Forest still coming to grips with Oliver Glasner’s demands, an electric Liverpool attack will put the visitors to the sword and pick up three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.
