Nottingham Forest host Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime in a repeat of the first Premier League fixture shown on Sky Sports (although they will not be broadcasting this reunion).
Both clubs somehow escaped with clean sheets from their midweek league outings despite conceding a glut of chances to Brighton and West Ham respectively. Forest held on for their second draw in three matches while Liverpool inched into seventh with a narrow win.
Here’s everything you need to know about the meeting between this fortuitous duo.
Nottingham Forest: 0 Wins
Liverpool: 2 Wins
Draws: 3
Nottingham Forest: LLDLD
Liverpool: WLWWW
Harry Toffolo added to Steve Cooper’s injury headache when he limped off with a knock in the dying embers of Forest’s stalemate with Brighton on Tuesday night. Jack Colback (back) and Moussa Niakhate (thigh) are set to remain on the sidelines. Renan Lodi and Lewis O’Brien are further along in their recovery process but are also doubts.
Omar Richards is yet to make his debut since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer but could play some role for his new side before Halloween.
Nottingham Forest Starting 11 (4-3-3): Henderson; Aurier, Cook, McKenna, Williams; Yates, Freuler, Mangala; Gibbs-White, Johnson, Lingard.
Bench: Hennessey, Biancone, Worrall, Awoniyi, Surridge, Kouyate, Dennis, Boly, Bade.
Jurgen Klopp has lost both forwards Luis Diaz (knee) and Diogo Jota (calf) to fitness problems until after the World Cup. Arthur Melo revealed last week that “an unfortunate injury to my left thigh will keep me out of action “for a while.”
Goalscorer Darwin Nunez was removed inside the opening hour of Liverpool’s midweek win after flagging a muscular problem at half-time. However, Klopp stressed that “we caught it at the right moment.”
Ibrahima Konate is being cautiously eased back into training after suffering a minor injury while both Joel Matip (calf) and Naby Keita (thigh) are expected to return at the start of November.
Liverpool Starting 11 (4-4-2): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Henderson, Carvalho; Firmino, Salah.
Bench: Kelleher, Thiago, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Tsimikas, Clark, Nunez, Phillips.
Forest were narrowly beaten 1-0 when they hosted Liverpool in an FA Cup quarter-final last March, producing what Klopp described as “a top, top performance.” Seven months on, Cooper’s side bear little resemblance to the cohesive unit which pushed the Reds so close.
Three straight victories for Liverpool has steadied the ship on Merseyside. While problems still remain, Klopp’s team are unlikely to be as forgiving as Brighton were on Tuesday night.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Liverpool
Credit: 90min.com
