Liverpool will be looking to maintain their resurgence in the Premier League top-four race when they pay a visit to the City Ground to tackle relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds have successfully arrested a mid-winter slump in recent days, following up a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Sunderland secured via a Virgil van Dijk header and then with a commanding 3-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round.
These results have injected a timely dose of momentum into Arne Slot’s camp as they look to bridge the gap to the Champions League qualification spots.
Currently sitting in sixth, the Merseyside giants find themselves just three points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United and only two behind Chelsea in fifth.
However, with recent away days yielding a disappointing defeat at AFC Bournemouth and a sobering home loss to Manchester City to open February, Slot’s men cannot afford another ‘wobbly’ performance on the road.
Standing in their way is a Forest side entering a new chapter under Vitor Pereira. Having become the club’s fourth permanent manager of the campaign following the dismissal of Sean Dyche, Pereira will be desperate to harness the ‘new manager bounce’ and guide the team away from the drop zone in what promises to be a high-stakes showdown.
Supporters will undoubtedly spark a massive atmosphere at the City Ground on Sunday as they usher in the Vitor Pereira era. The home faithful always turn up for their team, and they’ll be desperate to give their new manager a winning start.
Here everything you need to know ahead of the clash…
How to watch:
The fixture will kick-off at 2pm GMT on Sunday, February 22nd.
Viewers in the UK can tune in live via Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage underway from 1pm.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Recent form
Nottingham Forest:
The arrival of a new manager often wipes the slate clean, and the players will likely find an extra gear as they look to impress Pereira for the first time in the Premier League.
Indeed, during Pereira’s debut match at the helm in the Europa League, Forest swept Fenerbahce aside with ease, 3-0, as star personnel such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus got in on the goalscoring action in Turkey.
While Forest have managed to save their best football for Europe, their domestic form has been a different story. A dismal three-game winless run in the league eventually forced the board’s hand, ending Sean Dyche’s tenure at the club.
Forest hit rock bottom during a turgid 0-0 draw against Wolves. Fans left the City Ground feeling frustrated and anxious.
The Reds haven’t won a home league game since thumping Spurs in mid-December. That fortress now feels like a burden.
Forest have won just three of thirteen home fixtures this season. Strangely, they perform better away, securing four wins already.
New boss Vitor Pereira wants to smash these records immediately. Forest hope Liverpool underestimate them this Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool:
Liverpool aren’t the polished machine that won the title last season. Arne Slot’s men have been inconsistent throughout February.
They cruised past Brighton in the FA Cup and edged out Sunderland. However, a last-minute Manchester City winner stunned them.
The Reds remain unpredictable as they chase the top four. Slot must find consistency to save their season.
Pereira sees Liverpool’s away form as a massive opportunity for an upset. The Reds have lost five times on the road.
Slot’s side have won only twice in their last five away games. Anfield remains a fortress, but their travel form falters.
Forest must stay alert to secure Pereira’s first win. They particularly need to stop the lethal Hugo Ekitike.
The Frenchman leads Liverpool’s scoring charts with ten goals this season. He remains the biggest threat to the Forest defense.
| Stat | Liverpool | Forest |
| Goals scored | 0 | 3 |
| Possession | 74% | 26% |
| Total shots | 21 | 15 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 7 |
| Big chances created | 1 | 4 |
| Pass accuracy | 89% | 70% |
| Corners | 8 | 6 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.15 | 2.04 |
Despite Forest’s struggles, Liverpool won’t be arriving with any sense of complacency. They still carry the scars of November’s meeting, where a shambolic 3-0 defeat left Arne Slot’s future at Anfield looking genuinely precarious.
It’s easy to forget now, but back then, Slot looked like a man on borrowed time. Having been dismantled by this same Forest side once already this season, the Reds know exactly what happens if they let their intensity levels drop
Liverpool stuck by him in the end, and they look to now be vindicated, as a top-four finish could still be on the cards, particularly if Forest are on the receiving end of a bruising defeat on the weekend.
Nottingham Forest: W D L D W
Liverpool: W W L W W
Team News:
Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels (out) Chris Wood (out) Willy Boly (out) John Victor (out) and Nicolo Savona (out)
Liverpool: Jeremie Frimpong (out) Waturo Endo (out) Alexander Isak (out) Conor Bradley (out) and Giovanni Leoni (out)
Predicted XI:
Nottingham Forest predicted XI (4-2-3-1) – GK: Stefan Ortega, RB: Ola Aina, CB: Nikola Milenkovic, CB: Murillo, LB: Neco Williams, CDM: Elliot Anderson, CDM: Ibrahmin Sangare, RM: Omari Hutchinson, CAM: Morgan Gibbs-White, LM: Callum Hudson-Odoi, ST: Igor Jesus
Liverpool predicted XI (4-2-3-1) – GK: Alisson, RB: Dominik Szoboszlai, CB: Ibrahima Konate, CB: Virgil Van Dijk, LB: Milos Kerkez, CDM: Ryan Gravenberch, CDM – Curtis Jones, RM: Mohamed Salah, CAM: Florian Wirtz, LM: Cody Gakpo, ST: Hugo Ekitike
What has been said:
Morgan Gibbs-White (Forest)
Gibbs-White spoke about the instant positivity Pereira has managed to inject into the ranks, right after the dominant 3-0 win in Turkey, which should stand Forest in good stead to catch Slot’s men off guard on Sunday afternoon.
“His message to us is that we will have a real identity to how we play and defend as a team” said Gibbs-White. “We have all bought into what he wants straight away. It is about keeping learning from each other and taking it game by game. We needed a clean sheet, and we needed a win, and today felt like the perfect moment.”
Arne Slot (Liverpool)
Slot is also expecting a tough test when travelling to the City Ground in the coming days, but he believes he is clued up on what to expect, even with a fresh managerial change occurring.
Slot stated – “Back then [in November] they were in a different management as well, because I think it was Sean Dyche’s third or fourth game. That sometimes makes it a little bit more difficult because we only have tonight to see if this manager changes personnel, changes tactics. The good thing is that there is still one game to be played before we play them and we, of course, know him because he worked last season in the Premier League as well.
But usually you would also adapt to the players you have. Although managers have a preferred playing style, you take into account which players you have as well. So, let’s see.
It was a difficult game for us in the beginning of the season – although, again, I’m going to say the same in that the first half-hour was very, very good from us, [with] chance after chance and then we conceded a set-piece and the game went completely the opposite way. So, we know what we can expect if we play Forest because I’ve played them three times already.”
