Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche believes his side must be on their “A game” if they are to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

Forest entered the November international break on the back of a 3-1 victory against Leeds United, which was Sean Dyche’s first league win since taking over from Ange Postecoglou.

The Tricky Trees are currently ninth in the Premier League, but will be hoping to pull off another surprise win at the home of the reigning champions.

Liverpool lost this exact fixture 1-0 last season, the only league game in which they failed to score all season. They’ve not lost consecutive home league games against Forest since 1963.

Although Dyche backs his side to be competitive against Liverpool, he insisted that there will be little room for error.

“I think you want the team and yourself to be confident wherever you are going. I think, you know, you can’t guarantee these things.

“But I think we have got a team that can compete, and that’s a big thing. Every game means something and we are beginning to build that mentality.

“Now after last season I remember the performance and the result, you have got to deliver some of that as well; like I said, these are still a good outfit.

“You have got to defend well and you have got to play well whatever style that is. On that day, it was soak up and absorb and counter.

“Whether you’re playing that style or more open, you have got to be on you’re A game to beat these teams, particularly at their place. We know that, and the players are aware of that.”

Liverpool dropped to eighth in the league table after losing 3-0 to Manchester City before the break.

The Reds are now eight points behind early leaders Arsenal, while only Manchester United (18) and Bournemouth (18) are the only teams in the top half to have conceded more often than Liverpool (17) so far this season.

Hugo Ekitike believes Liverpool have a difficult task ahead of them if they are to retain their title, but feels they will improve.

“I think it’s going to be a tough period with a lot of games – not easy games. The games before the internationals were obviously difficult, too,” Ekitike told the Liverpool website.

“We are going to need to stick together and really support each other because it is going to be a busy period with a lot of matches.

“But I am confident. I think we can do something; we have a lot of games to come back to, but it is a good place for us to be there.

“We can switch to victories again. It is just [about] momentum. I believe we can improve and get better.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Mohammed Salah

This is set to be Mohamed Salah’s 300th Premier League appearance for Liverpool, the fifth player to reach that figure for the Reds after Jamie Carragher (508), Steven Gerrard (504), Jordan Henderson (360), and Sami Hyypia (318).

Salah’s 276 goal involvements (188 goals, 88 assists) for Liverpool are the joint-most by a player for a single Premier League club (level with Wayne Rooney for Man Utd).

Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White

Morgan Gibbs-White has scored in both of Forest’s last two Premier League games and could score in three successive league appearances for the first time in his career.

He is one goal away from becoming the fourth player to score 20+ Premier League goals for the Tricky Trees, after Chris Wood (37), Bryan Roy (24), and Stan Collymore (22).

MATCH PREDICTION – LIVERPOOL WIN

Although Liverpool have lost five of their last six Premier League games (W1), they have won four of their five at Anfield in 2025-26 so far (L1).

Indeed, the Reds have only lost one of their last 22 home league games (W17 D4) since losing 0-1 to Forest in September 2024.

Currently eighth in the Premier League table, it’s the latest into a season Liverpool have started a match this low down since April 2023, when they won 3-2 at home to Forest when starting the day in 8th place.

Forest are one of four sides yet to win away from home in the Premier League this season (also Fulham, Newcastle, Wolves).

The Tricky Trees have lost both of their last two away league games without scoring, last losing three in a row without a goal in October 2022.

Forest won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool in the Premier League last season – they’ve not gone three league games without defeat against the Reds since February 1993.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Liverpool – 71.1%

Draw – 16.5%

Nottingham Forest – 12.4%