English Premier
2026-08-29 - Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 29th August 2026 - Kick Off 12:30pm
This game is live on TV
Liverpool
Scoring an equaliser deep into injury time will have given Liverpool some confidence to take out of the opening fixture of the new season, but Andoni Iraola will also be aware that his new club need reinforcements. This feels like a big few days for Liverpool ahead of the close of the summer transfer window and it could determine how successful the new manager will be in his first season at Anfield.
Big expectations will always be the case at Liverpool Football Club and it is up to any manager to try and manage those as best they can. Two seasons ago, Arne Slot rode a very strong start to the Premier League title, but The Reds only finished 5th last season and that may give Andoni Iraola some room to breathe as he looks to mould the team into his shape. A 10-6-3 record at Anfield last season is one that offers some scope for improvement as far as the Spaniard in charge is concerned.
Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle United may feel slightly disappointing on the balance of play and has extended the run to 5 Premier League fixtures without a victory. The side finished the last campaign with a single win from the last 4 games played at Anfield in all competitions.
The squad looks similar to the one that was available to Andoni Iraola last weekend, although fans and the manager are hoping signings can be made to improve the options. Attacking wide areas is the focus with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh being chased, but additions are unlikely to be available for this early Saturday kick off.
Nottingham Forest
Oliver Glasner is going to be hoping that he is working for a more patient Nottingham Forest owner than the one who moved through four different managers in the 2025/26 season. Consecutive home defeats to Leeds United have created some early pressure on the new man at the helm and things do not get any easier for Nottingham Forest in the early Saturday slot in the Premier League.
The battle to avoid relegation was serious enough that Nottingham Forest had to keep searching for the right voice throughout the last campaign and they ended up just 5 points clear of the bottom three. The experience of Oliver Glasner and the successes he had with Crystal Palace should mean he has some time to turn things around and he is in charge of a Nottingham Forest team that had a respectable 7-3-9 away record in the top flight last time around.
Nottingham Forest have not won any of the last 6 games played in all competitions and the 2 losses this season have both been at the City Ground without scoring a goal. The Tricky Trees had been unbeaten in 6 away games in all competitions before rounding out the season with a 4-0 defeat at Villa Park in the Europa League Semi Final Second Leg and a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Neco Williams has been linked with a move away, but is a doubt for this fixture anyway, as is Morgan Gibbs-White. Liam Delap is set to be signed from Chelsea, but Oliver Glasner may yet be hoping for more new arrivals before the summer transfer window closes.
Head to Head
Both Premier League games between these clubs was won by the away team last season.
Nottingham Forest stunned Liverpool 0-3 at Anfield and that makes it consecutive Premier League wins at this ground.
Prior to that, Liverpool had won 6 in a row at home against The Tricky Trees.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest have earned consecutive Premier League wins at Anfield without conceding a goal, but it will be a third different manager in search when the teams meet this Saturday.
A new manager will also be sitting in the home dugout as both Forest and Liverpool look to bounce back from dropped points on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Momentum will feel very different after Nottingham Forest conceded very late to lose 0-1 at home to Leeds United, while Liverpool scored deep into injury time to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw at St James' Park. Since those matches, Nottingham Forest have lost at home to Leeds United again, this time in the League Cup, and Oliver Glasner is going to be desperately looking for solutions.
The balance has not been good enough in the opening two games as Nottingham Forest have not been able to create good opportunities when going forward. A new system will take some time to be implemented fully, while Glasner will be hoping for more arrivals to strengthen his options, but the former Crystal Palace manager cannot expect the same time he was afforded with The Eagles.
Crystal Palace have had a patient board, but Nottingham Forest are onto the fifth different manager in a twelve month period and only results will keep Oliver Glasner in charge.
The Tricky Trees have a tough test in facing Liverpool in the opening game of the season at Anfield and Andoni Iraola's team have been able to play some decent attacking football. The manager has urged the club to buy more wide attackers, but Liverpool's real problem may be the balance in midfield and the defence, which looked hugely vulnerable to pace last Sunday.
Counter attacking football will make Nottingham Forest dangerous, but it will also be tough to contain Liverpool, even if the last two visits to this ground have ended with away clean sheets.
We are in the very early stages of the new season and so you cannot read too much into the opening weekend, but Liverpool did look like a team capable of creating plenty of chances. The learning curve for Nottingham Forest could be a little steeper under the new managers and Liverpool may take advantage to snap the 2 game losing run to this visiting team and pick up a first competitive win under Andoni Iraola.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool 2-0 Nottingham Forest
