Arne Slot Praises Nottingham Forest and Anticipates a Tough Encounter

Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Nottingham Forest on Monday, saying his side will have their work cut out for them when the two teams meet at the City Ground.

Aware of the Danger:

While Liverpool are on a strong run in the Premier League this season, Slot was aware that Nuno Espirito Santo's Forest are a dangerous opponent. Forest are the only team to have beaten Liverpool this season, winning 1-0 at Anfield in September.

Forest as Direct Competitors:

Liverpool top the Premier League table with 46 points from 19 games, six ahead of third-placed Forest. Slot acknowledged the quality of the opposition and considers them direct competitors: “I’ve always said you can judge the table better halfway through the season. They are up there with the rest, so they are definitely a team competing with us and the others,” Slot told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash.

A Difficult Match:

Slot anticipates a complex and challenging match: “If you look at the way they’ve played and their results, it’s deserved. It’s going to be a very difficult challenge for us to get a result.”

Remembering the Anfield Defeat:

Slot admitted that the defeat to Forest at Anfield was a tough blow and hopes the atmosphere at the City Ground will be hostile to prevent a repeat: “I hope the atmosphere (at the City Ground) is on fire from the beginning so they are not allowed to get going again,” the Dutchman said.

Nottingham Forest's Characteristics:

Slot analysed Nottingham Forest's characteristics, highlighting their defensive solidity and effectiveness on the counter-attack: “They are a team who barely concede any goals. They don’t take too many risks in their build-up, so when they lose the ball they have a lot of players behind the ball and they defend with 11.” He also mentioned their seven-game winning streak in all competitions before finishing 17th last season.

Praise for Chris Wood and Nuno Espirito Santo's Work:

Slot also praised the work of striker Chris Wood and manager Nuno Espirito Santo: “They have a team that works hard without the ball and they can keep it. (Striker) Chris Wood is a very good example of that,” Kowaki said. “They score goals and are dangerous on the counter-attack, but they also have quality when they want to play with the ball. Nuno has done a good job implementing a style of play that suits the players.”

Liverpool Squad News:

Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez will be available for the game, while defender Joe Gomez remains sidelined with injury: “He (Gomez) is definitely not training with the team yet,” Slot added.

In summary:

Arne Slot praised Nottingham Forest and anticipated a difficult match.

Forest are the only team to have beaten Liverpool this season.

Slot highlighted Forest's defensive solidity and counter-attacking effectiveness.

Darwin Núñez will be available for the game, but Joe Gomez remains injured.