Liverpool impressed with two convincing wins last week, but taking three points from a the City Ground will be particularly challenging after Forest's midweek victory in Turkey
04:00, 21 Feb 2026
Arne Slot
A trip to Nottingham Forest will be another test of Liverpool's trajectory(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Arne Slot will have winced at the sight of Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White streaming beyond the Fenerbahce defense, as Nottingham Forest netted a third goal after just 50 minutes in Istanbul.
The Liverpool boss implied on Thursday that he would tune into the midweek Europa League fixture to try and gain an insight into Vitor Pereira’s approach. No doubt, he will have hoped for a slightly disjointed performance that would dampen spirits ahead of the new head coach’s first Forest home game. Instead, a 3-0 win in Turkey should inspire fresh belief before the meeting with Liverpool at the City Ground on Sunday.
After what has been a dramatic downturn from last season - something Liverpool can relate with - there were shades of the Forest of last campaign against Fenerbahce. The side, under its fourth permanent head coach of the campaign, was tightly packed and organised, conceding just one shot on target.
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Forest ceded possession willingly and struck with precision on the counter. Again, a penchant of Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive team that finished seventh last season, the direct dribbling proved too effective for the hosts to stymie. Two goals were provided via surges through Fenerbahce’s center, which came either side of Jesus’ converted header from a corner.
The convincing manner of the win will have made for uncomfortable viewing for Slot, as will Pereira’s tactical configuration. The methods employed by the Brazilian have proved problematic for Liverpool to deal with this season.
Slot even referenced that after last week’s win over Brighton & Hove Albion, a side whose modus operandi is based on expansive possession.
“Today we have two teams that have a similar style, one to bring the ball out from the back, two teams who want to press high. The modern Premier League is not that much about bringing the ball on from the back; it's a lot about the direct style of play and a lot about set-pieces,” the Dutchman told TNT Sports.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Liverpool manager Arne Slot gestures during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion on February 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Slot admits Liverpool has struggled against teams that prefer to play long balls(Image: Getty Images)
If Brighton’s tactics played into Liverpool’s hands, Forest’s won’t. In truth, that won’t come as a complete surprise for Slot. Pereira’s Wolverhampton Wanderers was not renowned for its swashbuckling style, although in two meetings last season the 57-year-old caused Liverpool more than a few scares, with the Reds holding on to fraught one-goal leads on each occasion.
And given Forest’s predominantly defensive set-up under Santo and Dyche, Slot will surely have expected something similar on Sunday. “The good thing is they [Forest] have that [Fenerbahce] game, and the manager was in the Premier League last season,” he said ahead of the weekend trip to the East Midlands.
Slot has been bruised by Forest before. It inflicted the first defeat of his managerial tenure, and perhaps the nadir of his Anfield premiership came in November, when the relegation-threatened side returned from Merseyside with a 3-0 win.
Last season’s trip to the City Ground was challenging, too. Liverpool took a point but was second best for long spells.
Nottingham Forest celebrate scoring a goal
Forest earned a superb victory in Istanbul on Thursday(Image: Getty Images)
The famous ground generates one of the league’s most febrile atmospheres, and buoyed by the midweek win, with the threat of relegation looming, and the hope inspired by yet another managerial reshuffle, Sunday’s game is a daunting proposition.
Liverpool has wilted in similar scenarios this season, such as trips to Selhurst Park, the G-tech Community Stadium and Elland Road, leading to questions about the team’s mentality.
Given the recent upturn in form, with two impressive wins last week, a similar slip-up on the banks of the River Trent would be disastrous for the Reds’ momentum. Liverpool has lost just two league games since that mauling by Forest in November, but each has been met with a damning inquest.
If the Reds’ aims of securing a top-five place and reeling in Manchester United and Chelsea are serious, there is little room for further mistakes. Defeat on Sunday could ultimately prove a fatal blow.
Slot will hope the eight-day preparation, a rarity this season, will prove decisive in a game sandwiched either side of Forest’s European double-header.
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If not, his Thursday-night wince could turn into a Sunday scream.