Match Preview: Liverpool face tricky Nottingham Forest test | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool – Premier League Preview

Date: Sunday, 22 February 2026

Venue: City Ground

Kick-off: 14:00 GMT

A return to Premier League action follows a triumphant weekend in the FA Cup, where Brighton were comfortably dismissed at Anfield. For one evening, the noise subsided. The arithmetic paused. Momentum felt tangible.

Now it resumes.

The City Ground is rarely a gentle landing. Nottingham Forest may be navigating turbulence of their own, but desperation in February can be as dangerous as confidence. Liverpool arrives refreshed, restored, and carrying the quiet authority of a 3–0 cup win. The question is whether that control travels and whether or not the hosts will build from a new manager bounce.

⸻

Nottingham Forest: Power, Pace and Pressure

Forest’s campaign has been defined by volatility. There are structural questions, financial whispers, and a fanbase that senses uncertainty. Yet within that chaos lies a threat and a rat of excellent players.

Murillo remains their defensive cornerstone — aggressive, front-footed, and fearless in stepping into duels. In transition, Forest is capable of puncturing space quickly, especially down the flanks. They are not a possession-dominant side, but they do not need to be. Their danger lies in moments — turnovers, set-pieces, emotional surges from the crowd.

At the City Ground, matches rarely settle into a rhythm. They swing.

Forest will likely compress space centrally and invite Liverpool wide, trusting their physicality to contest crosses and second balls. If they can disrupt midfield flow early, frustration becomes an ally. The first twenty minutes will matter more than the final ten.

For Liverpool, composure cannot be conditional.

Liverpool: Carry the Clarity Forward

The Brighton performance was not spectacular — it was controlled. That distinction matters.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s central influence restored balance. His vertical running and authority between phases allowed Liverpool to transition from defence to attack without panic. That must continue. He cannot become a tactical luxury. He is structural now.

Florian Wirtz operating from the left offers subtle unpredictability. He drifts inside naturally, creating numerical superiority in half-spaces while still stretching the pitch. It frees the right side for Mohamed Salah to remain decisive rather than overloaded.

Alexis Mac Allister’s responsibility is to calm the contest if it becomes erratic. Ryan Gravenberch must impose himself physically. Against Forest’s likely intensity, this cannot become a passive midfield display.

At the back, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté must extinguish the transition before it ignites. Forests thrive on chaos. Deny them that oxygen and the game becomes territorial rather than emotional.

This is not about glamour. It is about maturity.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1)

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Curtis Jones

CB – Ibrahima Konaté

CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Milos Kerkez

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

AM – Dominik Szoboszlai

RW – Mohamed Salah

CF – Hugo Ekitike

LW – Florian Wirtz

Final Word

Cup weekends provide warmth. League fixtures demand steel and points are demanded.

Liverpool cannot afford to treat this as a continuation of celebration. It must be an extension of discipline. Win here, and momentum becomes credible. Drop points, and the top-five conversation tightens again.

The City Ground will test resolve more than flair. But if Liverpool carries the clarity shown against Brighton — if Szoboszlai commands centrally, if Wirtz drifts intelligently, if Salah remains ruthless — then control should prevail over chaos.

This is not an opportunity disguised as a fixture.

It is a statement waiting to be made.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Nottingham Forest 1 – 2 Liverpool