Preview: Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool - prediction, team news, lineups

Facing 1 of the toughest tests of their Premier League rubric mettle, Liverpool marque the trek to the City Ground for a fascinating conflict with high-flying Nottingham Forest connected Tuesday night.

There are conscionable 2 places and six points betwixt the 2 title contenders successful the top-flight standings, arsenic the Reds quadrate up to 1 of lone 2 teams to person outwitted Arne Slot truthful acold this season.

Match preview

© Imago

Atoning for the knockout wrongs of their 1-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg loss astatine the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, albeit 1 clouded successful Lucas Bergvall controversy, Liverpool's relentless huffing and puffing against a spirited Accrington broadside yet led to a fabulous four-goal win.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's marvellous long-range onslaught was the item of the day for the much-changed Reds, arsenic the right-back wrote his redemption arc aft a fearfulness amusement against Manchester United, portion Diogo Jota, Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa besides gave the Anfield faithful thing to cheer connected Saturday.

As applaudable arsenic Accrington's efforts were, it was ever going to beryllium a lawsuit of conscionable however galore the Reds were going to people successful the third-round tie, adjacent if Slot made an abundance of changes that helium has been loath to marque for the bulk of the campaign.

Some tiredness was possibly evident successful the frenetic four-goal stalemate with Manchester United past clip retired successful the Premier League, but Arsenal's nonaccomplishment to get the amended of Brighton & Hove Albion allowed the Reds to support their six-point vantage astatine the summit, and inactive with that outstanding crippled successful hand.

Liverpool whitethorn person been slain astatine Anfield by Tuesday's hosts backmost successful September, but the Reds person the lone unbeaten distant grounds near successful the 2024-25 Premier League and person struck astatine slightest 2 goals successful each of their past 12 top-flight matches; 5 games successful that series person travel connected rival territory.

© Imago

However, Tuesday's titanic tussle volition spot the unstoppable unit of Liverpool conscionable the immovable entity of Nottingham Forest, who made it 7 wins connected the rotation and 5 cleanable sheets connected the bounce erstwhile Luton Town paid a sojourn for the FA Cup 3rd round.

Strikes either broadside of the half-time whistle from Ryan Yates and Ramon Sosa made the quality for the Tricky Trees, who tin surely harbour realistic ambitions of a travel to Wembley successful the outpouring arsenic Nuno Espirito Santo continues to mastermind a magical run.

December's Premier League Manager of the Month visited his aged Molineux location connected January 6, wherever determination was nary emotion mislaid betwixt Wolverhampton Wanderers and chap erstwhile occurrence Morgan Gibbs-White, to which Forest's originative fulcrum responded with a seventh-minute opening goal.

Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi besides got successful connected the enactment arsenic Santo's men deed the 40-point people for the play aft conscionable 20 games - the aforesaid tally that Arsenal boast - and the hosts are conscionable 1 triumph distant from matching their all-time champion of 7 consecutive league victories.

That feat has ne'er been achieved by the Tricky Trees successful the Premier League era, but content should not beryllium successful abbreviated proviso aft September's daze 1-0 occurrence astatine Anfield, the aforesaid slender tally that Liverpool won by astatine the City Ground past play arsenic Darwin Nunez's last-gasp victor triggered full-time mayhem.

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

Nottingham Forest signifier (all competitions):

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Misfiring Liverpool marksman Nunez conscionable cannot drawback a interruption astatine the moment; the Uruguayan wasted different mates of chances against Accrington and serves a suspension connected Tuesday for picking up his 5th yellowish paper of the Premier League play against Man United.

Nunez should lone beryllium 1 of 2 Reds absentees for Tuesday's tie, though, arsenic Slot's sole wounded absentee is hamstring unfortunate Joe Gomez; Dominik Szoboszlai and Jarell Quansah were some acceptable to commencement the FA Cup occurrence pursuing illness.

However, the brace volition apt beryllium axed from the archetypal XI arsenic Slot reverts to his strongest imaginable setup, including a callback for Cody Gakpo, who is aiming to go conscionable the eighth Dutch subordinate to people successful 4 successive Premier League matches.

Likewise, Nottingham Forest besides travel into the midweek conflict with a adjacent cleanable measure of wellness aft Danilo made his long-awaited comeback from an ankle wounded against Luton, earning 5 minutes arsenic a precocious substitute.

Only Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) is successful the attraction of the Forest doctors astatine present, and Santo could besides spend to rotate his resources successful the FA Cup, bringing the likes of Carlos Miguel, James Ward-Prowse and Awoniyi into the XI.

The 6ft 8in Miguel shone successful the Luton occurrence with six saves, but Matz Sels volition nary uncertainty instrumentality to defender the posts connected Tuesday arsenic helium seeks a 10th Premier League cleanable expanse of the season; helium is already 2 wide of Jordan Pickford and David Raya successful the contention for the Golden Glove.

Nottingham Forest imaginable starting lineup:
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

We say: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Liverpool

Forest person not exclusively faced teams that they would ordinarily beryllium expected to conquer during their stellar series - Brentford astatine home, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Man United are nary pushovers - and Santo's men volition surely springiness the league leaders a terrific tally for their money.

ID:562655:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect16697:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!