Arne Slot feels Nottingham Forest are serious title challengers as Liverpool prepares to face the only team that has defeated them in the league.
Liverpool are set to face Forest this weekend in an unusual top-of-the-table battle. The Reds are six points ahead of Arsenal and Forest at the top of the Premier League, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side is the only team to have defeated them this season. Slot has now stated that they are legitimate title rivals.
Forest won 1-0 at Anfield in September. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the game’s solitary goal in the reverse encounter, and Slot has now reflected on a game he believes the Reds were unlucky to lose.
Slot told reporters: “I have always said you can judge the table best halfway through the season and that moment is there now so if Forest is up there with us, Arsenal, Chelsea City and all the others they are definitely a team that is in competition with us and with the other team.
“They deserve to be treated like this if you look at the way they play and look at their results. It is going to be a very difficult challenge tomorrow to get a result.”
Reflecting on the game, he said, “I watched them always and they very good in terms of tactics and what we could do now.” I assume, I’m not sure because I don’t make Forest’s starting lineup, but it surprised us back then that Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga were not playing, but they are playing so well now that it would be surprising if they didn’t start.
“Back then, they did not start and instead used more midfielders in these spots. We need to wait and see. We are prepared for both, but we must perform better than that game, that is certain.
They continue to play in a manner similar to ours. “They previously demonstrated in retrospect how good a squad they are; leading up to that game, I believe they had two draws and one win. In general, we do not expect Liverpool to lose at home.
“They had a very good game plan, they changed the wingers they normally played and brought them in at the end and they made a difference, although I expect their wingers who have done so well to be in the starting XI tomorrow.
I think he changed back then and it worked really well during that game.”
Liverpool will be hoping to exact some payback this week. A win might have Forest’s pulse racing as he faces an unexpected title challenge.