Premier League Preview | Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool | City Ground | Sunday, 22 February 2026 | 2:00pm GMT
Saturday, 21 February 2026. The alarm bells at Anfield are ringing louder than they have at any point since Arne Slot took charge in the summer of 2024. With Liverpool sitting sixth in the Premier League table and a top-four finish by no means guaranteed, tomorrow’s trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest represents one of the most consequential matches of the Dutchman’s tenure so far. Three points behind Manchester United in fourth and two behind Chelsea in fifth, the Reds go into the weekend knowing that further dropped points could make the race for Champions League qualification feel almost impossible. Yet, as if the pressure of the table were not enough, Liverpool arrive at a ground where they have been beaten and embarrassed in recent meetings, without five key players, and facing a Forest side buzzing with fresh energy under yet another new manager.
It has been a season of sliding doors and missed opportunities for Liverpool. A club that won the Premier League title in breathtaking fashion just twelve months ago now finds itself scrambling to simply keep pace with their rivals for a top-five finish. Liverpool are three points behind Manchester United in fourth, and two behind Chelsea in fifth. The fifth-placed team in the Premier League this season is very likely to end up with a UEFA Champions League spot for next season as well, so Liverpool are firmly in that race — but for that, they cannot afford to be inconsistent anymore. However, has been the defining characteristic of this campaign, and nowhere has it been more damaging than on the road. Liverpool have struggled away from Anfield and are winless in eight of thirteen fixtures on the road. Premier League That statistic makes tomorrow’s trip to Nottingham all the more daunting.
A Bogey Ground That Has Haunted Them
The City Ground has not been a happy hunting ground for Liverpool of late. Forest won the reverse fixture at Anfield 3-0 earlier in the season, and Liverpool have not won any of their last three meetings against Forest. Premier League That shock 3-0 humiliation on Merseyside earlier this campaign remains one of the lowest points of the season, a result that underlined just how far the defending champions had fallen from their imperious best. A repeat of that performance tomorrow would almost certainly be fatal to Liverpool’s Champions League aspirations and would dramatically increase the scrutiny on Slot, whose position has been the subject of growing concern in recent weeks.
What makes Forest a particularly uncomfortable opponent right now is the renewed vigour coursing through the club following the appointment of Vitor Pereira as their fourth manager of the season. After Sean Dyche’s dismissal, Pereira was drafted in, and his early impact has been striking. This is Pereira’s first home game in charge, coming swiftly after a 3-0 Europa League play-off first-leg victory over Fenerbahce. That result has injected real belief into Nottingham Forest. Premier League A packed, roaring City Ground will greet his side, and Liverpool must be prepared for an atmosphere that will be as much a challenge as the opposition itself.
Forest are now onto their fourth manager of this season, and Pereira has his task cut out. Forest have one win in their last five Premier League games, but even so, they failed to follow that up, dropping points against Crystal Palace and Wolves at home either side of a loss away to Leeds United. Pereira was in charge of Wolves last season and masterminded an impressive display at Anfield, even though his side lost 2-1 to the eventual Premier League champions. The Portuguese coach knows Liverpool’s vulnerabilities well, and he will have spent the days since his arrival studying them closely.
A Mounting Injury Crisis That Tests Slot’s Squad Depth
Adding to Liverpool’s difficulties is an injury list that has been growing steadily more alarming throughout February. Alexander Isak is out with a broken leg, Conor Bradley is sidelined with a knee problem, Jeremie Frimpong is absent with a groin injury, Wataru Endo has suffered an ankle problem, Giovanni Leoni is out with a knee injury, and Stefan Bajcetic remains unavailable with a hamstring issue. That is five confirmed absentees from a squad that was already stretched thin, and the cumulative effect of those losses is being felt throughout the team’s structure and flexibility.
Endo’s injury, in particular, delivered a blow that goes beyond mere squad numbers. The Japan captain was stretchered off in the Reds’ 1-0 win over Sunderland after starting the game at right-back. Arne Slot confirmed that the 32-year-old suffered a “serious” injury and revealed he expects the midfielder to be unavailable for the long term. Slot himself was characteristically stoic in his assessment, saying he was unsure exactly how long Endo would be out but described it simply as “long.” With Frimpong, Bradley, and Endo all unavailable, the right-back position has become a genuine crisis area, with Szoboszlai being asked to fill in a makeshift arrangement that is far from ideal going into a match of this magnitude.
In encouraging news for Liverpool, defender Joe Gomez has featured as a substitute in the previous two matches, with Slot now confirming he is prepared to start. The England international’s availability will strengthen the team’s defensive resources. Manchester City FC Whether Gomez slots in at right-back or whether Szoboszlai continues in that unnatural role remains one of the key tactical decisions Slot must make before kick-off on Sunday afternoon.
The Predicted Lineup and What Liverpool Need
Hugo Ekitike should come back into the starting line-up, replacing Federico Chiesa, while Ryan Gravenberch is expected to replace one of Curtis Jones or Alexis Mac Allister in midfield. The predicted Liverpool XI reads: Alisson, Szoboszlai, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Wirtz, Ekitike, Gakpo. ESPN It is a lineup that carries quality but also carries significant questions, particularly at the back and in terms of how Liverpool will control a match against a side that will be defending deep and looking to hit them on the counter.
Forest, meanwhile, are not without their own injury concerns. Willy Boly, Chris Wood, John Victor, Nicolo Savona, and goalkeeper Matz Sels are all unavailable through injury for the hosts. Manchester City FC Their absence weakens Forest’s options and could prove crucial in a tight, tense affair.
What Liverpool need tomorrow is not just a result, but a statement. They need to prove that their victories over Sunderland and Brighton in the FA Cup were not isolated flashes of form, but the beginning of a sustained run. Their next few Premier League games, starting with this one against Forest, present huge opportunities to put together a winning run. Arne Slot will know that his side will have to start being consistent, and put in performances like their last two.
The City Ground has not been kind to Liverpool in recent memory. Tomorrow is the opportunity for that to change, and with the Champions League on the line, it simply has to.
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YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone)!
The Liverpool FC Times Team
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