Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Prediction: Key Stats and Betting Tips

Liverpool welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield on 29 August 2026 in the Premier League Regular Season – 2, with both sides looking to lay down an early-season marker. Under the watch of referee S. Barrott, this lunchtime kick-off in Liverpool offers the hosts a chance to turn Anfield back into a fortress after a mixed recent record against Forest on home soil.

After a 2-2 away draw on the opening weekend, Liverpool sit 10th with 1 point, having both scored and conceded twice. Nottingham Forest started with a 0-1 home defeat and are 15th with no points and no goals scored so far. With top-half ambitions for Liverpool and survival and consolidation the priority for Forest, this fixture already carries weight in the early Premier League table.

Stats-driven punters and fans searching for Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest prediction, Premier League betting tips and detailed H2H trends will find plenty of angles here, from Liverpool’s attacking output to Forest’s stubborn defensive numbers and a recent head-to-head that has been far more competitive than traditional reputations suggest.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Key Stats

• Liverpool are 10th with 1 point after 1 match, scoring 2 and conceding 2 in the Premier League.
• In their last Premier League meeting on 22 February 2026 at City Ground, Liverpool won 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest.
• Across their 1 Premier League match this season, Liverpool average 2.0 goals scored and 2.0 goals conceded per game, while Nottingham Forest average 0.0 scored and 1.0 conceded.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest — Tale of the Tape

• Position: 10 vs 15
• Points: 1 vs 0
• Goals For: 2 vs 0
• Goals Against: 2 vs 1
• Clean Sheets: 0 vs 0

Early in the campaign, the table is tight, but the underlying numbers already hint at contrasting profiles. Liverpool’s 2-2 away draw shows they can create chances but are not yet defensively settled, conceding twice and failing to keep a clean sheet. Their overall goal difference is neutral, but their attacking ceiling looks far higher than Forest’s.

Nottingham Forest, 15th with a -1 goal difference, opened with a narrow 0-1 home defeat. They have yet to score and have already failed to find the net in their only match, indicating attacking rhythm is still missing. Defensively, conceding just once keeps them competitive, but travelling to Anfield against a side averaging 2.0 goals per game is a significant step up in difficulty.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Key Matchups

R. Gravenberch vs O. Aina

With no top scorers listed yet, creative and disciplinary influences come into focus. For Liverpool, Ryan Gravenberch stands out from the top assists data. In his single Premier League appearance this season, he has already provided 1 assist in 78 minutes, completed 47 passes with an impressive 91% accuracy and produced 1 key pass. His work rate is solid too, with 1 tackle and 2 interceptions, plus 10 duels contested and 4 won. That blend of progression on the ball and defensive contribution makes him a key figure in controlling midfield tempo at Anfield.

For Nottingham Forest, Ola Aina appears in both the top yellow cards and top red cards listings (though he has 0 red cards), underlining his combative role. In 74 minutes so far, he has 1 yellow card, 11 duels with 5 won, and 5 dribble attempts with 3 successful. He also contributed 3 key passes from 26 total passes, albeit at a more modest 65% accuracy. His willingness to drive forward and take risks on the ball could be crucial for Forest transitions, but his card record suggests he will have to balance aggression carefully against Liverpool’s technical midfielders.

Jair vs Liverpool’s attacking line

On the defensive side for Forest, Jair’s numbers are significant. In his 90 minutes, he has 42 passes at 88% accuracy, 2 tackles, 2 blocks and 1 interception, plus 11 duels with 4 won. He also picked up a yellow card, indicating he does not shy away from physical battles. Against a Liverpool squad packed with attacking options like F. Chiesa, A. Isak and C. Gakpo in the player list, Jair’s positioning and timing in duels will be critical to limiting clear chances. If he can replicate his defensive output while avoiding disciplinary trouble, Forest can at least make Liverpool work for their openings.

Head-to-Head: Last Meetings

Recent meetings between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have been surprisingly balanced, with Forest picking up notable wins at Anfield and City Ground in the last few years. The margins have often been tight, with several one-goal games and low-scoring contests.

• 22 February 2026: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
• 22 November 2025: Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
• 14 January 2025: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
• 14 September 2024: Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
• 2 March 2024: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Prediction

Everything points to Liverpool being strong favourites at Anfield, but the matchup is not as straightforward as the league positions suggest. Forest have taken two clean-sheet wins away at Anfield in recent seasons (0-1 in September 2024 and 0-3 in November 2025), proving they can frustrate and punish Liverpool on the counter. However, early-season form leans the other way: Liverpool have already scored twice in their only outing, while Forest have yet to find the net.

The prediction model gives Liverpool a 35% chance of victory, with the draw also at 35% and Nottingham Forest at 30%. That relatively compressed spread reflects Forest’s stubborn defensive profile and the recent H2H pattern of tight scorelines. Still, with Liverpool at home, more attacking firepower in the squad, and Forest failing to score so far, the edge lies with the hosts to grind out a narrow win rather than a rout.

Predicted Score: Liverpool 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Liverpool Recent Form

Liverpool’s recent Premier League form is marked by a single draw so far this season. That 2-2 away result shows both attacking promise and defensive vulnerability: they have already gone “over 1.5” goals in their only match, scoring twice but also conceding twice, including goals in the 0–15 and 46–60 minute windows. They have yet to keep a clean sheet but also have not failed to score, underlining a high-event style in the early going.

Nottingham Forest Recent Form

Nottingham Forest’s current Premier League form is one defeat from one match. A 0-1 home loss means they have failed to score in their only outing, while conceding late in the 76–90 minute window. Their defensive numbers (just 1 goal conceded) suggest they can stay compact, but with 0.0 goals scored on average and one recorded failure to score, the attacking side of their game needs to improve quickly.

Liverpool Possible Starting Lineup

With no confirmed lineups for this specific fixture, a likely Liverpool selection will be built around key squad members listed: GK Alisson Becker; Defenders V. van Dijk, J. Gomez, M. Kerkez, K. Tsimikas or J. Frimpong; Midfielders W. Endo, A. Mac Allister, R. Gravenberch, D. Szoboszlai, F. Wirtz; Forwards A. Isak, F. Chiesa, C. Gakpo and other attacking options such as H. Ekitike and L. Koumas available.

Liverpool’s most-used formation in the early Premier League statistics is 4-2-3-1, and the squad composition fits that shape well: a solid centre-back pairing in front of Alisson, a double pivot with Endo and Mac Allister, and creative lines behind a central striker like Isak. Gravenberch’s early assist and passing metrics make him a strong candidate to start again, providing vertical progression and link play. With no injury data listed, Liverpool appear to have a deep bench to adjust tactically if Forest sit deep.

Nottingham Forest Possible Starting Lineup

Forest’s squad suggests a continuation of their 3-4-2-1 shape, which has already been used once this season. A possible structure: GK M. Sels; Defenders Jair, Morato, N. Milenković; Wing-backs L. Netz and O. Aina; Central midfielders I. Sangaré, N. Domínguez or X. Schlager; Attacking midfielders M. Gibbs-White and C. Hudson-Odoi; Striker options including T. Awoniyi, C. Wood, A. Kalimuendo or Igor Jesus.

The back three, anchored by Jair’s defensive numbers (tackles, blocks, interceptions and high pass accuracy), provides a platform for aggressive wing-backs like Aina, who also contributes dribbles and key passes but must manage his disciplinary risk. Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi offer creativity and ball-carrying behind a central striker. Forest’s challenge at Anfield will be turning compact defensive structure into genuine goal threat, something they failed to do in their opening match.

Liverpool Team News

No significant absences reported.

Nottingham Forest Team News

No significant absences reported.

Injuries & Suspensions

Liverpool:

• None reported.

Nottingham Forest:

• None reported.

Betting Tips: Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest

Exactly 3 market angles stand out for this Premier League clash at Anfield:

• Result Tip: Back Liverpool to win. With Liverpool given a 35% chance of victory by the prediction model and the bookmakers making them clear favourites, this is the primary angle. Home odds range from 1.42 to 1.54 across major firms, implying an approximate probability between about 64.9% (1 ÷ 1.54 × 100) and 70.4% (1 ÷ 1.42 × 100). Liverpool’s stronger attacking output (2 goals in 1 game) and Forest’s failure to score so far justify siding with the hosts despite Forest’s awkward recent record at Anfield.
• Goals Tip: Under 3.5 total goals. Early-season data is limited, but Liverpool’s only match finished 2-2 and Forest’s 0-1, while the last five Premier League H2H meetings listed include scorelines of 1-0, 0-3, 1-1, 0-1 and 1-0 – mostly tight, low-to-medium scoring affairs. Forest’s conservative 3-4-2-1 and Liverpool’s occasional struggle to break them down at Anfield suggest a controlled game rather than a goal glut. Use the closest “total goals” or under/over line available with your bookmaker; the match-winner odds context indicates the market expects Liverpool dominance but not necessarily a high-scoring rout.
• Value Tip: Liverpool win & Nottingham Forest under 1.5 goals. Forest average 0.0 goals for and have already recorded one failure to score this season, while Liverpool have yet to keep a clean sheet but historically limit Forest to narrow margins in most of their wins (three 1-0 victories in the last few years). Combining a Liverpool victory with Forest scoring no more than once offers a higher price than the straight home win, while still aligning with both the H2H pattern and current attacking metrics. Look for related markets such as “Home win and away under 1.5 goals” or “Liverpool win to nil / Forest under 0.5” depending on the exact odds structure offered alongside the match-winner prices (home 1.42–1.54, draw 4.12–4.74, away 5.51–6.55).

Odds are accurate at the time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.