Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Liverpool have to hope that Arsenal drop points in the North London Derby, but that will not change their situation much: there are still six contenders for top spot ahead of them in the standings, and on top of that they now face Nottingham Forest, who are recovering their form.
Liverpool
Beating Aston Villa (2:0), and even more so Real Madrid (1:0), is good, but it is too early to celebrate. Against Manchester City, Liverpool showed almost nothing of note. Jérémy Doku constantly overran Conor Bradley down the right flank, and although Erling Haaland did not beat Giorgi Mamardashvili from the penalty spot, he still forced his way through the hosts' defence in open play. In autumn the team's results were poor not only because of their defending: in only 3 of their previous 10 matches did they score at least two goals.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest also have a similar physical presence up front, only from New Zealand. Chris Wood has scored 34 goals in 67 matches for the club over the last two seasons, but after scoring twice in the first round of the new campaign he went quiet. Since matchday nine the player has been in the stands with a knee injury. In the summer Igor Jesus arrived in Nottinghamshire, but he has yet to score in 10 Premier League appearances. The four points in the last two rounds have been secured not only by Sean Dyche's adjustments but also by five goals from defenders and midfielders.
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
If Nottingham Forest manage to score at least once against Liverpool, the bet on the visitors with a +1.5 handicap has a good chance of landing: the hosts are underperforming their expected goals in the Premier League (-2.82 xGDiff).
