Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Reds to get off the mark in the Premier League | OneFootball

Liverpool welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield on Saturday afternoon as Andoni Iraola takes charge of his first competitive match at home. The Reds had to fight back to snatch a point against Newcastle thanks to a late penalty, while Forest suffered a home defeat to Leeds to begin their Premier League campaign.

All to play for on Merseyside.

Andoni targets first league win

Andoni’s superb work at Bournemouth made him a popular choice for the managerial position at Anfield, especially given his style of play. Liverpool looked a bit rusty throughout the 2-2 draw with Newcastle, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s last-gasp penalty was enough to ensure both teams won a point.

There will be no excuses against Forest at home, especially considering Oliver Glasner’s men have lost both their games this term.

Liverpool’s record against Forest in recent seasons hasn’t exactly been great though. Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the Reds have won just four of the eight Premier League meetings between the two. Forest have won twice at Anfield during that period, suggesting Iraola might have to be wary of the threat they possess.

Is Oliver Glasner under pressure already?

Many were surprised that Glasner took the Forest job after leaving Crystal Palace. The Austrian led the Eagles to three trophies in his reign at Selhurst Park.

The City Ground is where he has ended up, despite owner Evangelos Marinakis not exactly being the patient type. He sacked three coaches last season, while Vitor Pereira left at the end of the campaign despite securing another season of Premier League football.

Glasner has an excellent CV, but he has yet to win a competitive game since joining. Forest conceded an 88th-minute goal against Leeds to begin their league season with a defeat. A few days later, Daniel James and James Justin scored to give Leeds another victory over Forest, this time in the EFL Cup.

It is still early days of course, but another few losses will surely give Marinakis plenty to ponder.

A victory at Anfield will be a welcome boost, especially with matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Coventry coming up over the next few weeks.

Key players

Cody Gakpo shone in pre-season after a productive World Cup and he scored Liverpool’s first goal against Newcastle last week.

With Bradley Barcola looking increasingly likely to make the move to Anfield, Gakpo’s role could change in the near future. Surprisingly he has never scored against Forest across seven previous appearances. Look out for him on Saturday, as he could be Liverpool’s biggest threat in the final third.

Liam Delap has recently joined Forest in a deal worth $66.5m, but Glasner will likely start with Igor Jesus ahead of this clash. The Brazilian has yet to net against the Anfield side, but he did score 16 times across all competitions last season despite Forest’s struggles.

Jesus has yet to open his account for the current campaign, but given how poor Liverpool looked defensive in spells against Newcastle, he will fancy his chances.

Team news

Iraola will be missing Conor Bradley and Geovanni Leoni for this clash, but he has no fresh injury concerns aside from that.

Glasner is missing Nicolo Savana, while Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams and Ryan Yates will require late fitness tests for the visit to Anfield.

Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Forest: Sels; Jair, Murillo, Milenkovic; Aina, Sangare, McAtee, Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Jesus

Prediction

Taking on a Forest side low in morale offers Iraola the ideal chance to seal his first competitive win as Liverpool boss.

The Anfield crowd will give the side a major boost and three points will allow the Reds to build some momentum heading into the next few weeks.

Should Forest suffer their third consecutive defeat, the pressure on Glasner will certainly amplify.

Score prediction: Liverpool 3 – 1 Forest