The Daily Star Ireland
Nottingham Forest has been a surprising standout this season, currently sitting in an impressive 3rd place in the Premier League standings. With a five-point cushion above 5th place, they are well-positioned to secure European qualification or even a spot in the next Champions League. Riding a wave of excellent form, Forest has won their last six league games, defeating Manchester United (3-2), Aston Villa (2-1), Brentford (2-0), Tottenham (1-0), Everton (2-0), and Wolverhampton (3-0). Last weekend, they faced Luton Town in the FA Cup.
Liverpool, meanwhile, has firmly established itself as one of the top teams in Europe and is the clear favorite to clinch the Premier League title. Sitting at the top of the table with a game in hand, the Reds have a six-point lead over their nearest competitor. Liverpool has suffered just one league defeat this season, which came against Nottingham Forest in mid-September (1-0). They recently secured big wins over Tottenham (6-3), Leicester (3-1), and West Ham (5-0), but were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United in their last league match. Earlier this week, Liverpool fell 1-0 to Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final first leg. Last weekend, they hosted Accrington in the FA Cup. Additionally, Liverpool completed an impeccable Champions League group stage, winning all six of their matches.
Nottingham Forest continues to cope with the absence of key midfielders Danilo and Sangaré, who remain sidelined due to ongoing fitness issues. In their last league match, Morgan Gibbs-White (4 goals, 3 assists) and Chris Wood (12 goals) both found the back of the net and are expected to start again. Wingers Anthony Elanga (3 goals, 4 assists) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (2 goals, 2 assists) are likely to complete the attacking lineup. In goal, former Strasbourg keeper Matz Sels will maintain his place.
For Liverpool, backup defenders Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah remain unavailable, while midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is listed as doubtful. Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, Mohamed Salah continues to deliver exceptional performances, contributing 18 goals and 13 assists in the league. He is expected to lead the attack as part of the Premier League’s most potent offensive lineup.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest has been remarkably consistent in keeping games low-scoring, with 19 of their last 20 home matches featuring three goals or fewer. Similarly, Liverpool’s last 18 away league games have also stayed under the 3.5-goal mark. This trend suggests a tightly contested match.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool
