Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo says his side will give Liverpool the respect they deserve ahead of the visit to the City Ground.
The Reds are six points clear of the Tricky Trees but could cut that gap to three with a win at home to Arne Slott’s men.
Forest remain the only team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League this season, winning 1-0 at Anfield in September.
Ahead of their second meeting of the campaign, Slott did not hesitate to label Nunn’s men as title challengers, but the former Tottenham boss is choosing to ignore the noise and focus on one game at a time.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s clash, he said: “We have to play games. We are here to compete against all teams and I think we are doing well, but nothing changes in our approach, which remains the same.
“We know what we can do and how we want to do things. We know each other, our strengths and weaknesses. So let’s play a game.
“I don’t know, but we try to ignore what’s around us as much as possible. We never change. It’s the way we see things, the way we see the competition. I would say it’s the way we see life. One day at a time, let’s focus on our tasks, and tomorrow is another difficult one.
🗣️ ‘We know we can count on them.’
Nuno for your support ahead of tomorrow. ❤️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 13, 2025
“Salah, Diaz, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Van Dijk, Konate, Trent… quality everywhere. Fantastic team. They showed not only in the Premier League but also in Europe how good they are. It’s about understanding that and facing the game with the real respect that it takes to play against Liverpool.”
Forest have emerged as the closest title challengers outside the traditional top six since Leicester’s famous triumph in 2016.
Although the Foxes lifted the trophy that season, there is no doubt that Nunn’s men face a tougher task with Liverpool and Arsenal breathing down their necks.
And when he was forced to answer for his aspirations in this mandate, the head of the Forest once again avoided the question.
He added: “It’s not about the game, it’s about the season and our strengths and weaknesses. It’s about knowing what we can do and what we’re capable of doing and what we can do really well. We have to repeat that and then take care of the weaknesses we have and the things we have to develop.
“But the basic principle of our approach is always the same. What we want to be is that at the end of one day we want to sit down and say now we are a solid, compact team that does not give too much to the opponents, that is difficult to break, and at the same time we have quality on the ball and pace in attack.
“All these things are ideal. We are still chasing and working on it.
Looking ahead Liverpool. 💪 pic.twitter.com/zTyFBwaUBi
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 13, 2025
“I see a group of players who are really committed to doing good work. What can happen in the future? I don’t know. The proof is that we have done it before – we started the competition well.
“I think we are progressing through the competition. I truly believe that the more time players spend together, the better they can play together, and the more they grow in knowing each other, the more they will increase and improve.
“I see a good group of people, more than the players. A group of people who want to do things together. This is important – the connection, the togetherness, that’s what I really value.”
