Liverpool - Nottingham Forest predictions and free betting tips [29/10/2023]

Come Sunday, 29 October, as part of the 10th tour of the EPL, Liverpool will play host to Nottingham Forest on their home ground. This comes on the heels of The Reds routing Toulouse 5:1 in the European Cup last Thursday, whereas Steve Cooper's wards settled for a dramatic draw against Luton Town, 2:2, a week prior.

Projected Line-ups

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Nottingham Forest: Turner; Aurier, Boly, Murillo, Toffolo; Sangare, Mangala, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Wood, Elanga.

Stadium

The encounter will occur in Liverpool at Anfield Stadium.

Liverpool

After falling short of fans' expectations last season, Liverpool had to settle for 5th place in the Premier League and a ticket to the Europa League. Following a series of staff changes during the offseason, the home side now occupies the 4th position in the league table, trailing the leading Tottenham by 6 points (and with this match in hand). It seems Jurgen Klopp's wards have what it takes to vie for a place in the 'Big Four' and even engage in the title race. After going unbeaten in the initial 6 rounds, the Merseysiders then lost to the Spurs following a refereeing mishap (2:1). The Reds subsequently gained a point against Brighton (2:2) and triumphed over Everton in last weekend's derby (2:0).

This week, Liverpool—leading in its Europa League group—maintained its impeccable streak with a 5:1 demolition of Toulouse at Anfield, courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch. A pleasing fact for Liverpool fans is that Klopp becomes the first Reds manager since 1990 to guide the side to seven consecutive home victories at the start of the season. In fact, the Reds' unbeaten run at Anfield in the Premier League now stands at a whopping 16 matches in a row! 

Nottingham Forest

Last season, Nottingham Forest had to pull out all the stops to avoid relegation, and the guests will have to do the same this time around. Steve Cooper's team currently stands at the 15th slot in Premier League and is 6 points removed from the relegation zone. The Striped Ones have not displayed the most inspiring form of late, having failed to secure a win in any of their five last EPL matches (4 draws and 1 defeat). Despite apparently easy opponents, Nottingham Forest squandered points against Brentford (1:1), Crystal Palace (0:0), and Luton (2:2) last weekend.

The Chris Wood - Anthony Elanga pairing twice brought success to the City Ground pitch: the Swedish striker provided two assists to his partner and seemingly settled the outcome of the encounter. However, Chiedozie Ogbene reduced the deficit on the 83rd minute and Elijah Adebayo subsequently levelled things up in dramatic fashion.

Head-to-Head

The Reds suffered a 3:2 loss against Nottingham Forest at Anfield a little over 12 months ago, whilst the underdog triumphed (1:0) at the City Ground last season.

Match Prediction: Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

Liverpool should not bank on a leisurely walk in the park when facing Forest, who will likely play defensively for most parts of the match. However, the visitors' prospects of securing points at Anfield appear scant: they are in a rut and haven't tasted victory in six consecutive rounds. I anticipate a routine victory for the Merseysiders with a -1.5 goal handicap.

Goals Prediction

Liverpool netted 20 goals in the last 9 rounds and will be bolstered by the return of Cody Gakpo from injury. The hosts stand a good chance of breaching the opposing defence at least twice this Sunday (individual total over 2).

Corner Prediction

As the favourites and homeowners, Liverpool will likely take the offensive for the majority of the match and win in all key metrics, including corners (handicap -1.5).

Yellow Card Prediction

Nottingham Forest, noticeably inferior in class, will likely resort to fouling frequently, disrupting the Reds' attacks. I predict a victory for the visitors in terms of yellow cards.

Score Prediction

My best bet is on a definitive score of 3:1 in favour of Liverpool.