
Preview: Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool

13/01/2025 22:30
The Reds look to avenge the only loss of their Premier League campaign.
Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
| Tuesday, January 14th |
Premier League | City Ground
8PM BST / 3PM ET
Following a week of domestic cup action, it's back to the main course for Liverpool, as they travel to Nottingham Forest to avenge their only loss of the Premier League campaign so far, and Arne Slot's only loss in 2024.
Few had predicted that the Garibaldis would be sitting in the Champions League spots at the halfway mark of the season — and underlying numbers suggest maintaining the position to the end of the year will be a supreme challenge — but Nuno Espirito Santo has succeeded in playing classic underdog football, as Forest sit deep and hit teams on the counter through their rapid wingers and big man up top.
The hosts are currently on a seven-game winning streak, and grabbed the opportunity to rest most of their starters at the weekend, as they overcame Luton Town 2-0 in the FA Cup.
Ibrahima Sangaré is the only first team player listed as unavailable. As such, expect a well-rested first choice XI tomorrow night, featuring top scorer Chris Wood, playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, and one of Callum Hudson-Odoi or Anthony Elanga.
Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Gakpo, Diaz, Salah
For the Reds, Alisson Becker will return in goal, having handed the gloves to Caoimhin Kelleher for domestic cup duty, while Trent Alexander-Arnold played for an hour against Accrington Stanley on Saturday and should maintain his spot in the XI. Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson will likely round out the defence.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister were rested at the weekend and should start, while Dominik Szoboszlai got a 45-minute run-out to get back on track following a few days of illness, and will duke it out with Curtis Jones for the final starting spot.
Up top, Darwin Núñez is suspended following a fifth yellow card last week, while Diogo Jota played a full 90 and is likely to start on the bench. Cody Gakpo, Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah start.
What the Managers Said
Arne Slot: "I think what every manager tries to do is find the game plan or the playing style that suits the players best. I think that is what the manager of Nottingham – Nuno – did very well. The playing style they have suits them really good. They have a hard-working team."
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We are here to compete against all of the teams and I think we are doing well, but nothing changes in our approach, which stays the same. We know what we can do and how we want to do things. We know each other, our strengths and weaknesses. So let's play the game"
The Officials
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistant referees: Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring
Fourth official: John Busby
VAR: John Brooks, Derek Eaton
Kickoff is set for 8PM GMT/3PM ET tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV.
In the meantime, and as always, we'll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it's released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.