Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Prediction: Preview and Betting Tips

Liverpool welcome Nottingham Forest to Anfield on 29 August 2026 in the Premier League, with both sides looking to shape the early tone of their campaigns. The hosts sit mid-table after an opening-day draw, while Forest arrive on Merseyside still searching for their first points of the new season.

With Anfield as the backdrop and Liverpool expected to push towards the European places, this fixture already carries weight. Liverpool are 10th with 1 point after a 2-2 draw away from home, while Forest are 15th with no points following a narrow 1-0 defeat. The market and predictive metrics both lean towards a home win, but recent head-to-head meetings suggest Nottingham Forest have been anything but straightforward visitors.

Forest have enjoyed some notable results at Anfield in recent years, including a 3-0 win in November 2025 and a 1-0 victory in September 2024. Liverpool, though, have reinforced and will be keen to reassert their dominance at home, especially against a Forest side that has yet to score this season.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Key Stats

• Liverpool are 10th in the Premier League with 1 point from 1 match, scoring and conceding 2 goals.
• In the last five Premier League meetings listed, Nottingham Forest have twice won at Anfield (3-0 on 22 November 2025 and 1-0 on 14 September 2024), while Liverpool have also recorded multiple home wins in this period.
• In 2026 Premier League statistics so far, Liverpool average 2.0 goals scored and 2.0 conceded per match, while Nottingham Forest have yet to score and concede 1.0 goal per game.

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

From the early standings, Liverpool have made a more productive start, drawing their opening match 2-2 away from home. They have shown attacking threat but also defensive vulnerability, with 2 goals scored and 2 conceded across 1 fixture. Forest, by contrast, began with a 1-0 home defeat, leaving them on 0 points and still looking for their first goal of the season.

Both sides are yet to keep a clean sheet in the 2026 Premier League campaign, underlining that defensive solidity remains a work in progress. Liverpool’s superior attacking output and home advantage, however, give them a clear statistical edge heading into this clash, especially against a Forest side averaging 0.0 goals for and 1.0 against per match so far.

Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest Key Matchups

R. Gravenberch vs O. Aina

Ryan Gravenberch has started the 2026 Premier League season as one of Liverpool’s key creative midfielders. In his single appearance so far, he has provided 1 assist, completed 47 passes with 91% accuracy, and produced 1 key pass. Defensively, he has chipped in with 1 tackle and 2 interceptions, while also drawing 3 fouls. Those numbers point to a midfielder capable of controlling tempo and progressing the ball effectively through midfield.

Opposite him, Ola Aina has been one of Nottingham Forest’s most involved players. In his lone appearance, he has played 74 minutes, taken 1 shot on target, made 3 key passes and attempted 5 dribbles with 3 successful. He has also engaged in 11 duels, winning 5, and committed 1 foul, picking up 1 yellow card. This suggests Aina is an important outlet in transition and a player who can drive Forest up the pitch, but his disciplinary record is worth monitoring against Liverpool’s fluid midfield.

Jair vs Liverpool’s Forward Line

For Forest, defender Jair has been central to their defensive efforts. In his 90-minute appearance, he completed 42 passes at 88% accuracy, made 2 tackles, 2 blocks and 1 interception, and contested 11 duels, winning 4. Those defensive metrics underline his importance in a back line that will be heavily tested at Anfield.

He will likely be tasked with containing Liverpool’s varied attacking options, including forwards such as A. Isak and F. Chiesa and attacking midfielders like F. Wirtz and C. Gakpo. Jair’s aerial presence and blocking ability will be crucial if Forest are to withstand sustained pressure and avoid a repeat of some of their heavier defeats at Anfield in recent seasons.

Head-to-Head: Last Meetings

This fixture has produced a mix of tight contests and emphatic scorelines in recent years, with both sides enjoying success home and away. The most recent meetings show that Forest have been capable of upsetting Liverpool, particularly at Anfield.

• 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

Stats suggest a competitive but Liverpool-favoured encounter. Liverpool’s early-season profile shows a team that can score, averaging 2.0 goals per game, but also one that can be opened up, conceding at the same rate. Forest, meanwhile, are still searching for attacking rhythm, with 0 goals from 1 match and an average of 1.0 goal conceded.

The prediction metrics give Liverpool a 35% chance of winning, with the draw also at 35% and a Nottingham Forest win at 30%. That distribution implies a relatively balanced contest compared with the betting markets, but still with a slight tilt towards the hosts. Head-to-head history offers Forest some encouragement, especially their recent wins at Anfield, yet Liverpool’s strengthened squad and need to respond at home should sharpen their focus.

Liverpool’s ability to create chances through players like R. Gravenberch, combined with Forest’s lack of goals and reliance on defensive resilience from players such as Jair and O. Aina, points towards a game where the home side control possession and territory. Forest may look to keep it tight and strike on the counter, but their current attacking numbers make a high-scoring away performance less likely.

Predicted Score: Liverpool 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Liverpool Recent Form

Liverpool’s recent Premier League form in 2026 is limited to a single match, a draw away from home. That result reflects a side that has yet to fully click defensively but already shows attacking threat, scoring twice while conceding twice. With no clean sheets yet and a goals-against profile that includes early and second-half concessions, tightening up at the back will be a priority as they return to Anfield.

Nottingham Forest Recent Form

Nottingham Forest began their 2026 Premier League campaign with a defeat, leaving their recent form characterised by a narrow loss and a failure to score. They have conceded once, late in the match, and will be concerned by their lack of cutting edge in the final third. Forest’s defensive structure has been relatively solid, but without goals they are under immediate pressure to improve in attack.

Liverpool Possible Starting Lineup

GK: Alisson Becker; Defenders: R. Araújo, J. Gomez, V. van Dijk, M. Kerkez; Midfielders: W. Endo, R. Gravenberch, A. Mac Allister, D. Szoboszlai, F. Wirtz; Forwards: A. Isak, F. Chiesa, C. Gakpo.

Liverpool’s squad list and 2026 tactical data point towards a 4-2-3-1 base shape, already used once this season. Alisson Becker provides stability in goal, while V. van Dijk anchors a defence that will look to improve on the 2 goals conceded in their opener. In midfield, the combination of W. Endo’s defensive balance and R. Gravenberch’s creativity offers control and progression. Further forward, options such as F. Chiesa, C. Gakpo, F. Wirtz and A. Isak give Liverpool multiple goal threats and flexibility in how they attack Forest’s back line.

Nottingham Forest Possible Starting Lineup

GK: M. Sels; Defenders: Jair, N. Milenković, Morato, Murillo, L. Netz; Midfielders: O. Aina, N. Domínguez, N. Williams, X. Schlager; Forwards: M. Gibbs-White, C. Hudson-Odoi, T. Awoniyi.

Forest’s 2026 statistics show a preference for a 3-4-2-1 system, with Jair at the heart of the defence and wing-backs like L. Netz providing width. In midfield, players such as O. Aina and N. Domínguez offer a blend of work rate and forward thrust, while M. Gibbs-White and C. Hudson-Odoi support a central striker like T. Awoniyi. The emphasis will likely be on compactness, quick counters and exploiting any space left by Liverpool’s attacking full-backs.

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 distinct betting angles stand out based on current statistics, prediction probabilities and available odds.

• Result Tip: Back Liverpool to win. With Liverpool given a 35% win probability in the prediction block but priced between 1.42 and 1.54 across major bookmakers, the market implies a significantly higher chance of a home victory (approximately 64.9% to 70.4% based on those odds). Liverpool’s superior attacking output (2 goals scored so far versus Forest’s 0) and home advantage at Anfield support the favourite tag. Recommended market: Liverpool to win at odds in the 1.42–1.54 range.
• Goals Tip: Under 3.5 total goals. Liverpool’s only match so far finished 2-2, while Forest’s ended 1-0, giving combined averages of 2.0 goals scored and 1.0 conceded between them. Forest’s lack of goals and tendency to keep games tight, plus Liverpool’s need to control proceedings, suggest a competitive but not necessarily high-scoring encounter. Several recent head-to-head meetings have also been decided by one or two goals. Look for under 3.5 goals where available in the goals markets.
• Value Tip: Nottingham Forest to receive at least one card. Disciplinary stats highlight O. Aina and Jair as combative figures: both have already received yellow cards this season, and Forest’s 2026 card distribution shows bookings spread across the first and second halves. Away at Anfield, Forest are likely to spend long spells without the ball and commit fouls to break up Liverpool’s rhythm. Exploring Forest-related card markets (such as Forest over 0.5 cards) could offer value, particularly if priced generously relative to their early-season disciplinary profile.

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