High-flying Nottingham Forest will host Premier League leaders Liverpool in what promises to be a thrilling Tuesday night fixture.
By Neel Shelat
Forest’s sensational winning streak
Many Nottingham Forest fans must be having the time of their lives right now. Their side is on a seven-match winning streak – their longest in nearly two decades. Six of those victories have come in the Premier League, making this their longest top-flight winning run since 1979. A seventh in the league would equal their all-time record.
This incredible run of results has propelled Nuno Espírito Santo’s side all the way up to third in the Premier League standings, level on points with Arsenal and just six off the leaders (who have a game in hand). As we are now in the second half of the season, the Forest faithful are increasingly believing in their team’s chances of returning to Europe after nearly three decades away.
Liverpool keen to preserve impressive double record
No team has done the league double over Liverpool since Manchester United managed it in 2015/16. Jürgen Klopp preserved that record for the entirety of his nine-year spell at the club, while his successor Arne Slot has only tasted one defeat to date.
That loss did come against Nottingham Forest on matchday four in the Premier League, when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored from outside the box to stop Slot’s party at Anfield.
Of course, that also means the Dutch tactician has yet to lose an away match in charge of Liverpool so that too could change at the City Ground.
Potentially favourable matchup for Forest
Liverpool have been the best team in England (and arguably the world) by some margin so far this season, but they are not absolutely perfect. Their scintillating attack – which has scored by far the most goals in the Premier League and accumulated the highest xG tally – has at least partly been helped by the fact that fewer teams are looking to defend with discipline in low blocks for long spells. Instead, most sides are looking to either start higher to selectively apply some pressure to push their opponents back, but both of those approaches leave their back lines a little more vulnerable.
Slot’s side have taken advantage of that by striking a fantastic balance between patient possession and direct attacking, thus luring their opponents out and springing forward at the best possible time. Opponents would like be better served by remaining in a compact low block against them, but the few sides that have tried to do so have been the relegation battlers for whom the difference in player quality proved great.
Nottingham Forest, however, have decent player quality along with the ability to absorb pressure for long spells. The likes of Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood enable them to pose a serious counterattacking threat from deep, which they have used to great effect so far. So, the hosts could well frustrate Liverpool and hurt them on the break.
Prediction
We should have a cracking game on our hands as both squads are near full strength; only Joe Gomez and Ibrahim Sangaré are out injured while Darwin Núñez is suspended. This may well result in a hard-fought draw.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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