Nottingham Forest arrive at Anfield searching for their first goal of the season after a frustrating goalless start that has seen them suffer back-to-back defeats across the Premier League and cup competition. Liverpool, meanwhile, drew 2-2 at Newcastle on opening day and will be keen to use their home advantage to climb the table after a mixed pre-season.
Three days after being beaten 0-2 at home by Leeds in the League Cup, Nottingham Forest make the trip to Anfield looking to salvage something from a difficult opening to their season. Oliver Glasner’s side lost their Premier League opener 0-1 to Leeds as well, meaning they are yet to score a single goal in competitive play this term. Liverpool, meanwhile, are not exactly flying either, having drawn 2-2 at Newcastle on the opening weekend, leaving Andoni Iraola’s side with just one point from their opening match of the season.
What’s at stake
With only one matchday played, the table is still being shaped. Brighton, Arsenal, Brentford and Everton lead the way on three points each, while Liverpool sit 10th on one point and Forest are 15th on zero. A win for Liverpool would lift them above several sides and put them in real contention for the upper half of the table early. For Forest, a positive result at Anfield would be a significant statement after two straight defeats to the same opponent across different competitions.
Neither side is in danger of anything drastic this early in the campaign, but a second straight league defeat for Forest would pile pressure on Glasner to find answers quickly, particularly after the side has yet to pick up a single point through one Premier League game and was also shut out in the Cup loss to Leeds. Liverpool, for their part, want to avoid falling further behind the early pacesetters and use Anfield as a platform to reset after that opening-day draw.
How they got here
Liverpool’s only competitive result this season is that 2-2 draw away at Newcastle, a match that showed promise in attack but left defensive questions unanswered. Their pre-season was patchy, with losses to Monaco and Leeds (in the Summer Series) offsetting a win over Wrexham and a draw with Como. Forest’s picture is starker: two competitive games, zero goals scored, two defeats. A 2-0 pre-season win over Brest and a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in friendlies suggested they could find form, but those results count for nothing now.
In the Premier League, Liverpool are 10th with one point from one game, two points behind the four sides on three points at the top. Forest sit 15th on zero points, level with Fulham, Sunderland, Bournemouth, Manchester United and Crystal Palace below them.
Key battle to watch
Forest’s inability to create and score is the most pressing concern Glasner has heading into this fixture. With Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi all in the squad, there is attacking quality available, but something is not clicking. How the Forest forwards engage against a Liverpool defensive line that shipped two at Newcastle will be the tactical thread worth following. If Forest cannot test Alisson Becker regularly, another shutout and another loss becomes the likeliest outcome at Anfield.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
The head-to-head record favors Liverpool across the last nine meetings, with five wins for the home side against three for Forest. Given Forest’s inability to score in either competitive fixture this season and Liverpool’s home advantage, Iraola’s side looks well positioned to take all three points. A low-scoring Liverpool win feels like the most natural outcome, though Forest have shown before they can be difficult to break down when they are organized.
Liverpool
Nottingham Forest