Liverpool will strive to nip the prospect of another losing streak in the bud as they play host to struggling Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Off the back of their deflating defeat at Manchester City – a seventh loss in eight on English soil – the Reds return from the international break , with Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley out for the next few games.
However, Arne Slot is boosted by the return of number one Alisson after two months out, who is expected to start in between the sticks for the test of Sean Dyche’s side.
Forest are languishing in the relegation zone on just nine points after a tumultuous start to the 2025/26 season, but Dyche will take inspiration from last season’s overachievers, who were the only team to beat Liverpool at Anfield during their title-winning campaign.
Follow all the action from Anfield in our live blog below:
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest live
- Liverpool play host to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League | Kick-off at 3pm GMT
- Forest were the only team to beat the title-winning Reds at home last term
- Alisson makes return to starting line-up but Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley are sidelined
- Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah Mac Allister, Gakpo; Isak.
- Forest XI: Sels; Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus.
‘Curtis Jones might be playing at right-back’
14:10 , Richard Jolly at AnfieldHere’s Richard Jolly inside Anfield:
“Arne Slot’s first defeat as Liverpool manager came against Nottingham Forest. That was a rarity but Slot goes into a rematch with seven defeats in 10 and injury issues to compound other problems. We will have to see but Curtis Jones might be playing right-back today, with both Bradley and Frimpong out. Alexander Isak starts in his first Liverpool appearance for a month, and after Slot said he might have to pick the £125m man ahead of fitter forwards to try and get him up to speed. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who got the winner for Forest last year, is on the bench.”
Arne Slot ‘not thinking’ about Premier League title
14:05 , Jamie BraidwoodLiverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City two weeks ago left the Premier League champions in 8th place – four points behind Pep Guardiola’s team and eight behind Arsenal.
That’s after Liverpool won their first five games of the season. The have lost five, and won one, of the six since – and Arne Slot says they can’t think about being in the title race.
“We are not even thinking or talking about it. It is just about the next game,” he said. “The only focus we have is winning games of football.”
Team news
14:00 , Chris WilsonForest boss Sean Dyche has chosen the exact same starting XI as the one that beat Leeds 3-1 before the international break.
Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic anchor the back four as usual, with Eliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare anchoring midfield.
Dan Ndoye and Nicolás Domínguez flank Morgan Gibbs-White on the wings, while Igor Jesus starts up front once again.
Team news
13:56 , Chris WilsonArne Slot has made five changes to the side that lost to City before the international break.
Alisson makes his return ahead of Mamardashvili in goal, while the injured Conor Bradley is replaced by Curtis Jones, with Dominik Szoboszlai moving back into right-back. At left-back, Milos Kerkez takes the place of Andy Robertson.
The injured Florian Wirtz makes way for Cody Gakpo on the left wing, while Alexander Isak returns up front in place of Hugo Ekitike.
Line-ups
13:50 , Chris WilsonForest XI: Sels; Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus.
Subs: John, Morato, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Hutchinson, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Boly.
Line-ups
13:47 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah Mac Allister, Gakpo; Isak.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Ekitike, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsey, Ngumoha.
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest team news and line-ups
13:40 , Jamie Braidwood
Will be confirmed in the next few minutes.
Liverpool were prepared to let Salah and Van Dijk leave for free, chairman reveals
13:35 , Richard Jolly
Liverpool would have walked away from contract talks with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk and let them leave on free transfers if they had asked for too much money, chairman Tom Werner revealed.
Salah, the third highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, and captain Van Dijk both signed new two-year deals in April, less than three months before the end of their previous contracts and after sagas that lasted for much of the season in which the Egyptian had claimed he was “more out than in” and when the club risked losing both.
Jamie Carragher highlights essential Liverpool signing for January
13:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Jamie Carragher has called on Liverpool to return to the transfer market in January despite coming off a summer of record spending.
Liverpool racked up a £450m outlay on players in the summer window, breaking their transfer record twice as they signed Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, along with Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni.
However, things have far from gone to plan for the defending Premier League champions this term, going on a run of six consecutive losses on English soil as their hopes of retaining the title took a seismic hit before Christmas.
Sean Dyche on building something ‘positive’ at Forest
13:05 , Jamie Braidwood
The Premier League table may show Nottingham Forest in 19th, only above winless Wolves, but Sean Dyche says there are “good signs” that something positive is building after the win against Leeds.
“There were good signs after the Leeds game of that feeling, not just with a performance and result, but also the connection that you get after the game and that good feeling in the camp and around the club,” Dyche said.
Who could Liverpool play at right back?
12:50 , Jamie Braidwood
Injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong leaves Arne Slot with a decision to make at right back, with Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai all potential options.
“He (Szoboszlai) is doing so well in every position,” Slot said on Friday. “He played really well as a full-back and a midfielder.
“Curtis Jones played there last season, Joe Gomez has played there as well but Joe Gomez has played, I think if I’m correct, 90 minutes twice throughout 2025.
Challenging but the good thing is we have enough good players available and maybe one of two of them have to play in positions they maybe don’t. That’s what we have to do.”
Alisson return comes at price for Liverpool as Arne Slot reveals double injury blow
12:35 , Richard Jolly
Liverpool have been hit with a double injury blow with Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley both out for the next few games.
And manager Arne Slot is without a specialist right-back as both Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are likely to be sidelined for at least three weeks and seven games.
The £100m man Wirtz, who is yet to get a Premier League goal or assist for Liverpool, has had another setback in his difficult start to life at Anfield.
But goalkeeper Alisson is fit again and Slot has confirmed he is set to start against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, meaning Giorgi Mamardashvili would drop to the bench despite saving a penalty from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in his last match.
Can Nottingham Forest repeat the trick?
12:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Nottingham Forest were the only team to beat Liverpool at Anfield last season, which was also the only game in which they failed to score. The Reds have lost at home to Manchester United this season – while their scoring run in the top-flight came to an end in their 3-0 defeat at Man City.
Nottingham Forest have not won back-to-back games at Anfield since 1963.
What is the Nottingham Forest team news?
12:10 , Jamie Braidwood
Chris Wood is still unavailable while Ola Aina and Oleksandr Zinchenko. But Callum Hudson-Odoi is making progross and could be in the squad.
What is the Liverpool team news?
12:05 , Jamie Braidwood
Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz both picked up muscle injuries during the international break and have joined Jeremie Frimpong on the sidelines. But Alisson could return to the squad.
Good afternoon
11:55 , Jamie Braidwood
Liverpool host Nottingham Forest as the Premier League returns to action at Anfield. The Reds will be looking to bounce back from the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City before the international break but will be dealing with fresh injury problems, while Nottingham Forest are aiming to build on their win against Leeds.