Liverpool are set to travel to the City Ground today to face Nottingham Forest, who are currently struggling in their league campaign and football pundit Paul Merson has weighed in with his prediction on the outcome of the match.
Last season, Liverpool suffered a defeat at the City Ground, losing 1-0 as former player Taiwo Awoniyi scored against his former club. This result serves as a reminder of the challenges Liverpool may face in their upcoming encounter with Nottingham Forest.
Despite the setback last season, Liverpool have shown significant improvement this term and currently leads the Premier League table. With crucial matches ahead, including clashes against Manchester City and Arsenal, Liverpool will be eager to secure a win and maintain their position at the top.
Manager Jürgen Klopp will be hopeful of welcoming back several key players for the Nottingham Forest fixture after having to cope without 14 players against Southampton earlier in the week. In his pre-match press conference, Klopp hinted at the potential return of Darwin Núñez and Dominik Szoboszlai to the squad, although Mohamed Salah remains unavailable for selection.
Paul Merson, a pundit for Sky Sports, suggests that the returning players could potentially give Liverpool the advantage at the City Ground. He predicts a 2-1 victory for the visitors and shared his thoughts with Sportskeeda:
“This is a hard game, but I think Liverpool could have a bunch of senior players back in the squad for this one, with Núñez, Szoboszlai and Wataru Endō expected to play some role in this game.
“I doubt Klopp will rush his key players back, especially with the Manchester City game on the horizon, but he’ll have them on standby in case this game doesn’t go as planned.
“Liverpool’s young players have been outstanding so far, but they can’t play against Man City, with all due respect to them, so it remains to be seen how Klopp approaches this game in terms of his selection. Nonetheless, I’m going for a Liverpool win, but this is not going to be straightforward for the Reds.”
Liverpool will also journey to Prague on Thursday evening, followed by City’s visit to Anfield next weekend, which could prove pivotal in the title race. Klopp expresses optimism about Salah’s return for that match, stating during his press conference:
“I don’t think he is too far off. He will not feature tomorrow. From there, we have to go. With Darwin and Dom, we said touch and go. That stays the same with Mo. Next week maybe. He is on the way back but not back yet.”
Saturday’s challenge looms daunting for Liverpool, with key players absent from Klopp’s ideal lineup. Despite this, Klopp refuses to offer excuses, emphasising the importance of securing points.
Meanwhile, City faces Manchester United at the Etihad, and Arsenal journeys to face struggling Sheffield United on Monday evening. Klopp remains resolute, expecting his team to maintain their lead by weekend’s end.
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