Arne Slot believes Nottingham Forest are in the Premier League title race and expects another tough test when they take Liverpool to the City Ground tomorrow night.
Forest have defied pre-season predictions of a relegation battle with a marvelous run of form that sees them third in the table – six points behind top-of-the-table Liverpool having played a game more.
They have won six league matches and a seventh would bring them closer to the Merseysiders.
Slot said: “I’ve always said you can judge the table better mid-season. That moment is here now. If Forest are with us, Arsenal and Chelsea, then they are definitely a team competing with us and the others.
“If you look at the way they play and their results, it’s deserved. It will be a very difficult challenge for us to get a result.
🗣️ “They deserve to be treated like this! »
Arne Slot says if he thinks Nottingham Forest are title contenders 🏆 pic.twitter.com/gGii5eU8gI
– Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 13, 2025
Anfield defeat not much of a shock – Slot
Forest have the distinction of being the only team to have beaten Liverpool in the league this season, having triumphed 1-0 at Anfield in September.
“They have already shown in retrospect what a good team they are,” he added. “When Liverpool lose a home game, it’s something you don’t expect. For us, losing that day was difficult to accept. Now, looking back and seeing where they are in the league, it’s not as shocking a result as I thought at the time.
“They had a good game plan and I expect their wingers, who have done so well, to be in their starting XI tomorrow.”
After giving some game time to some of the club’s fringe players in this weekend’s FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley, Slot will recall the big guns for the clash with Forest.
Defender Joe Gomez, however, remains out due to injury, while striker Darwin Nunez is suspended.
Praise for Nuno
Liverpool can expect to have the bulk of possession tomorrow night with Nuno Espirito Santo setting Forest up for the counter-attack, a style which has reaped its rewards this season.
Slot said: “They have a team that works hard without the ball and they can hold the ball as well. Chris Wood is a great example of this.
“They scored and posed a lot of threat on the counterattack, but they also have quality when they want to play with the ball.
“Nuno has done a great job implementing a style of play that suits the players.
“It’s a team that barely concedes goals. They don’t take many risks in their build-up play, so when they lose the ball they have a lot of players behind the ball and defend with 11 players.
