Premier League: Liverpool Poised to Burn Through Nottingham Forest

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

Arne Slot couldn’t have dreamed of a better start here in the Premier League, as his Liverpool team is gunning for the top spot in the standings alongside Manchester City.

After notching wins against Ipswich Town, Brentford, and Manchester United, Liverpool return home to Anfield, where they’ll host Nottingham Forest this Saturday night.

The Reds cannot afford to be complacent against the visitors, as Nottingham Forest have kept it relatively tight to kick off their 2024-25 campaign. The West Bridgford-based squad has recorded one win and two draws in the English top-flight.

Nuno Espirito Santo may be delighted with the grit his boys have been showing thus far, but that won’t be enough against Liverpool.

Read more below for the SBOTOP preview of this intriguing contest.

 

Talking Points

Contract concerns loom large for Liverpool

Mohamed Salah is driven to play well for Liverpool because he is in the final year of his current contract. The Egyptian talisman is confused why he hasn’t been offered an extension, especially since he leads the Reds in scoring with three goals and four assists.

Perhaps the reason why Liverpool are hesitant to give Salah a new deal is because of the fact he’s not getting any younger. The 32-year-old is reportedly earning £350,000 a week, making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Salah is not the only Liverpool star whose contract is expiring, as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are also in their final years.

Virgil van Dijk made it clear he wants to extend his stay in Merseyside, but like Salah, age plays a role since the Dutchman just turned 33 a few weeks ago.

As for Alexander-Arnold, he will turn 26 in October, so he still has a lot left in him. Either way, Liverpool have to address all three of these expiring contracts fast to avoid distractions.

As far as the Nottingham Forest game is concerned, Liverpool were dealt a big injury blow, with Harvey Elliott expected to be sidelined until October due to a fractured foot.

This means that Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo will see more opportunities in midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

 

Ward-Prowse could give Nottingham Forest a huge boost

Nottingham Forest strengthened their roster on deadline day with the late additions of James Ward-Prowse and Morato.

James Ward-Prowse comes to the team on loan from West Ham United without a buy clause, while Nottingham Forest paid Benfica £12.6 million for Morato.

The two of them could make their Nottingham Forest debuts this weekend, but fans at the City Ground will likely be more excited with the arrival of Ward-Prowse since he is a proven commodity in the Premier League.

Before moving to Forest, Ward-Prowse joined West Ham United from Southampton last summer and scored seven goals in 51 appearances.

Known as a free-kick specialist capable of creating Premier League 2024 highlights, James Ward-Prowse would certainly add to their offence, so don’t be surprised if Nuno Espirito Santo starts him this weekend alongside Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson, and Morgan Gibbs-White in midfield.

 

History

Liverpool are undefeated in their last 25 home league matches against Nottingham Forest (W20, D5), including a six-game winning streak. Their last defeat at Anfield against them was a 2-0 result in February 1969.

Arne Slot has yet to concede an opponent goal in his first three Premier League games in charge. If Liverpool keep a clean sheet and win this weekend, he could become the first manager to do so.

Nottingham Forest’s three-game losing streak against Liverpool in the Premier League is their longest drought since a run of five between 1983 and 1985.

But they are undefeated in four Premier League matches (W2, D2), their longest such run under Nuno Espirito Santo. Nottingham Forest enjoyed a longer unbeaten streak in February 2023, when they didn’t lose in five games in a row.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds see this as a lopsided game in favour of the hosts. Liverpool are 1.20 favourites, whereas Nottingham Forest are 9.40 underdogs, and a draw is at 6.00 in the 1X2 market.

Arne Slot’s proactive tactics have been well-drilled into his boys so far this season, so why not also go for bets like Total Goals 2-3 at 2.31 or even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.29? On the other hand, a low-scoring result of 1-0 in favour of the Reds is priced at 9.60, while a goalless draw – Nottingham Forest’s best-case scenario – has a huge 26.00 offer.

   

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