Liverpool F.C. Prepare to host Nottingham Forest at Anfield this Saturday in a Premier League fixture loaded with recent history and tactical intrigue. The match sees a Liverpool side sitting 10th in the table with one point from their opening game face a Forest team currently 15th.
Nottingham Forest have transformed their fortunes at Anfield in recent seasons. Prior to September 2024, they had not won at Liverpool's home ground in any competition since 1969. That changed dramatically with a 1-0 victory that month, followed by a 3-0 win in November 2024. They now aim to secure a hat-trick of league wins at Anfield for the first time in their history. Since Forest's return to the Premier League in 2022, they have beaten Liverpool three times in league play. That is more wins against the Reds than any other side has managed in that same period.
Liverpool, however, have a formidable record in home season openers. They have not lost their opening league game of the season at Anfield since 2003. In the 22 such games since then, they have registered 17 wins and five draws. This will be manager Andoni Iraola's first competitive match at Anfield in charge of Liverpool.
The opening draw at St James' Park highlighted a persistent issue. Liverpool dominated possession with 61% and took 27 shots to Newcastle's 13, but conceded two goals from rapid counter-attacks. Anthony Elanga scored the first just 10 seconds after Newcastle won the ball in their own box. Joe Willock's goal took 12 seconds from Malick Thiaw winning possession to the finish. Since the start of last season, Liverpool have conceded nine goals from fast breaks in all competitions. That is the highest tally of any Premier League side. Goalkeeper Alisson will be key to organizing a defense that must be alert to Forest's pace.
The club is now led by Oliver Glasner, the former Crystal Palace manager. He faces a significant rebuild, as he acknowledged in recent comments. "The reality is, and I think everybody has to understand and accept, nine months of relegation battle, losing maybe your top midfielder (Elliot Anderson), and now we're six weeks together," Glasner said. He added, "The reality is no magician, no Messiah, it's just hard work. This is what we have to do."
Forest had a relatively quiet summer transfer window by their recent standards. Their major signing was striker Liam Delap for a reported club-record fee of £50 million. Delap scored once in 28 league games during a previous spell at Chelsea. Glasner included no new signings in his starting line-up for their opening match last Saturday. The squad has been together for only six weeks and comes off back-to-back defeats to Leeds United, managed by Daniel Farke, within four days, failing to score in both games including a League Cup loss.
Liverpool begin this matchweek 10th in the Premier League, with one point from their first game. They have scored two goals and conceded two, giving them a zero goal difference. They trail early leaders Brighton by two points in the title race. Their next fixture is this home match against Nottingham Forest on August 29th.
Despite their recent struggles, Nottingham Forest carry an attacking threat on the road. They have scored in each of their last 10 Premier League away games, which is the longest current run in the division. This presents a direct challenge to a Liverpool defense that has been vulnerable to quick transitions. The outcome will hinge on whether Iraola's side can control the game's tempo and nullify Forest's counter-attacking potential while capitalizing on their own possession dominance. Fans can view the latest team news on our squad page ahead of the match.
