90min
·13 de enero de 2025
90min
·13 de enero de 2025
There's no pause for breath at Liverpool as they get ready to play a fourth game in nine days - this time at Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest.
The relentless run of fixtures hasn't yet led to an injury crisis for Arne Slot, but his players are undoubtedly feeling the pace as they juggle league action with both FA Cup and Carabao Cup commitments.
Of the three games Liverpool have played in the last week and a splash, they have only emerged victorious against Accrington Stanley of League Two. Manchester United took a deserved point away from Anfield before Tottenham upset the apple cart with a narrow win over the Reds in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.
Tuesday's clash against Forest is another really tough test, with Nuno Espirito Santo's surprisingly sitting in third after stringing together a terrific run of results. Indeed, they are just six points off Liverpool's points tally at the top, and have won their last six matches in a row across all competitions.
Here's how Liverpool could line up at The City Ground.
Salah's top of the Premier League goal charts / Alex Livesey - Danehouse/GettyImages
GK: Alisson - Liverpool's number one goalkeeper sat out the weekend's FA Cup tie but will be straight back in here.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - Criticised for his performance against Man Utd, Alexander-Arnold responded in the only way he knows how during his hour-long stint against Accrington - smashing one into the top corner from 20 yards.
CB: Ibrahima Konate - With Joe Gomez sidelined with a hamstring injury for the foreseeable and Jarell Quansah not at the forefront of Slot's mind, it's Konate who shapes up next to Alexander-Arnold.
CB: Virgil van Dijk - The Reds' skipper got to put his feet up on Saturday but will have his boots done up extra tight in preparation for 12-goal Chris Wood.
LB: Andy Robertson - The decline of Robertson's performance levels has been noticeable, yet he's arguably still a more consistent operator than Kostas Tsimikas. The Greek played the full 90 minutes against Accrington, suggesting he'll be back on the bench this time round.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch - One of the surprise packages of the season, it's probably fair comment to say Gravenberch is now one of the first names on Slot's teamsheet.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister - Likewise, Mac Allister continues to go from strength to strength in midfield and is looking like more of a bargain with every passing day. If there's one criticism of the 26-year-old, it's that he doesn't score enough goals - one in 18 Premier League appearances certainly doesn't feel like enough given his quality.
RW: Mohamed Salah - One player who is not having trouble finding the back of the net is arguably one of the Premier League's greatest ever. 18 goals for the season at an average of one every 93 minutes is elite.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai - The Hungarian international will be vying with Curtis Jones for the attacking midfield role - there's not much in it but Szoboszlai may get the nod.
LW: Cody Gakpo - The Dutchman's arrival at Anfield post-World Cup 2022 surprised many, given the raft of quality that then-manager Jurgen Klopp already had at his disposal. But Gakpo's now one of the key components of Liverpool's forward line, bagging 12 in all competitions so far.
ST: Luis Diaz - Diogo Jota is working hard to wrestle back his starting place and with Darwin Nunez absent through suspension, there's every chance he could get Slot's backing. However, Diaz has been terrific for Liverpool on the road and is hard to overlook.
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