Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest
14:00, Sunday 29th October
Anfield
Premier League
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Liverpool host Nottingham Forest at Anfield this Sunday afternoon, as the Premier League enters its second quarter of the 2023-24 season. Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Everton 2-0 at Anfield last time out, and currently sit fourth in the table – three points behind leaders Spurs, after an encouraging start. Visiting Forest occupy 15th, and drew 2-2 with Luton Town after a late comeback from the Hatters last weekend – they go into the weekend six points clear of the drop zone. Supports of both the Reds and Steve Cooper’s side can feel encouraged by the start to the campaign, but – for varying reasons – will feel a little frustrated that their games to date haven’t yielded at least a couple more points.
Famous rivals of yesteryear, Liverpool and Forest had gone almost twenty-three years without meeting prior to being drawn together in the quarter final of the 2022 FA Cup – Liverpool won 1-0, courtesy of a Diogo Jota goal, on their way to claiming the trophy. Former Liverpool forward, Taiwo Awoniyi scored the winner in a shock 1-0 win in Nottingham that October – the match was the sides’ last league meeting since 1999. Forest’s first Anfield visit since October 1998 came back in April – Klopp’s side were struggling down in 8th, having taken just one win from their previous five matches, whilst Cooper’s visiting side had recently dropped into the relegation zone, with just three points and no wins in ten games. Goalless at half-time, a lively second half saw Forest equalise twice before Mohamed Salah’s 70th minute winner – the 3-2 win was a second win in a decent run to the end of the season for the Reds (seven wins in an eleven match unbeaten run), whilst Forest would lose just once more as they steered themselves clear of relegation with a late season upturn in form.
Forest supporters had endured a dismal quarter of a century or so of following their side prior to their promotion campaign in 2021-22. They were relegated from the Premier League twice, in 1997 and 1999, and dropped into the third tier for three seasons from 2005. There was only really one push for Premier League promotion during this period, fired by the goals of Robert Earnshaw under Billy Davies in 2010. Supporters expected nothing good from their 2021-22 campaign when Chris Hughton was sacked in mid-September – Forest had picked up just a single point from their opening seven matches, and looked like relegation certainties. Steve Cooper was appointed a week later, however, and he oversaw a remarkable turnaround. Forest lost just six more matches on their charge up the Championship table, ultimately finishing fourth and securing promotion courtesy of a Levi Colwill own-goal for Huddersfield Town in the playoff final.
Promoted somewhat unexpectedly and with a squad bolstered by loanees, before then signing more than twenty players during the summer 2022 transfer window, 2022-23 was always set to be an exciting but uncertain ride for Forest. Unsurprisingly, Cooper’s disjointed side endured a difficult opening period of the season – they took just four points from their opening nine matches and propped up the table, albeit picking up slightly in the period prior to the World Cup break. Their form after the break and through to early-February offered real encouragement, however – eleven points from six matches almost doubled their points-tally and saw them rise to 13th. Forest would go on to falter during the spring, taking just three draws from eleven matches and sliding back into the drop zone, but a strong end to the season saw them secure survival with a game to spare – three late-season home wins (against Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, and Arsenal) proving key.
It was another busy transfer window for Nottingham Forest this year, albeit not competing with last summer’s number of acquisitions. New goalleeper Matt Turner and forwards Chris Wood & Anthony Elanga are notable signings, alongside World Cup-winner Gonzalo Montiel and Liverpool-favourite Divock Origi. It’s been a reasonable start for Forest – their three defeats have all been away defeats in games they’ve have expected little from (Arsenal, United, and City), whilst they’ve beaten newly-promoted Sheffield United and struggling Chelsea. The four draw in their opening nine matches represent cause for some frustration, however – particular having to come from behind at home to Burnley and wasting a 2-0 lead at home to Luton last time out. The draws against Brentford and Palace are likely less of a concern, but they’re the type of sides they should be aspiring to join in the relative safety of the lower mid-table and wins against the likes of Burnley and Luton are key to achieving that.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a good week following the recent international break, taking a 2-0 win from last weekend’s Merseyside derby before putting five goals past Toulouse in the week – the frustration of the Spurs debacle and the dropped points against Brighton now feel a long time ago. The Reds have what appears to be an attractive run of fixtures prior to a trickier festive period, and will be keen to ensure they get the expected jobs done in matches such as these. Forest have what appears to be a tough run of fixtures (Liverpool, Villa, West Ham, Brighton & Hove) before what could prove to be a pivotal week in early December (Everton, Fulham, Wolves) – their supporters are unlikely to expect much from Sunday’s match, but will recall last autumns victory and take that as encouragement for mild-optimism ahead of what is effectively a free hit. A tenth league game of the season for both sides, Sunday’s match is key to a mid-autumn period that will see supporters’ hopes & expectations for the remainder of the season adjusted or consolidated according to their form.
