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Former Nottingham Forest player and manager Martin O'Neill says qualifying for the Champions League will become a "distinct possibility" for his former side if they beat Liverpool in Tuesday's Premier League game at the City Ground.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster, O'Neill said the absence of Manchester United and Tottenham in the upper echelons of the table strengthens Forest's chances.

"When they are so far adrift at this moment, then you have to start believing if you're a Forest fan that European football, maybe top six, is certainly a possibility," said O'Neill, a two-time European Cup winner with Forest.

"If they happen to win at home tonight, Champions League football, daft as it may seem or daft as it may have seemed at the start of the season, is a distinct possibility.

"They are sitting there after 20 games with 40 points. They've got more points now than they had all of last season. It's been a terrific achievement."

Having left Forest in 1981, O'Neill returned in 2019 when he was appointed manager. However, he was sacked after just five months.

"I wasn't there long enough to put the shoes into the room," he recalled. "I was there for 19 games. Strangely enough we won the last three games.

"I came in a January period [but] I didn't spend a penny on a player. I wish now Mr [Evangelos] Maranakis, having forked out in the region of £400m the last couple of years, might have minded about 30 bob to buy a centre-half. It didn't materialise.

"It was 19 games - I wish I hadn't bothered."

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton "can't see Liverpool slipping up" in the title race if they are able to win at third-placed Nottingham Forest later.

Forest are still the only side to beat Liverpool in the league this season, and Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "It will be the same approach - they'll look to frustrate Liverpool.

"I think Nottingham Forest will get something from this.

"The danger for Liverpool is that last season the wheels fell off late on, but this is a big test.

"If they go there and win - and win well - then I can't see them slipping up."

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Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has defended the club's success this season saying "money doesn't play football, people do", after Liverpool head coach Arne Slot suggested the East Midlands side have spent their way to success.

A home win over Slot's side on Tuesday would move Forest - who go into the game third in the Premier League - to within three points of the leaders, who would still have a game in hand.

Slot said on Monday: "If you look at the money they spent, it's not a complete surprise."

But Nuno responded: "I don't know the spending, I don't know the value. That doesn't happen. I look at the player as a human being and how I can make them better.

"Money doesn't play football - people do. It's not my issue. We are not concerned about the price tag of things."

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Nuno has guided his side to six successive victories in the league, with many believing that if they get a result against Liverpool they can be taken as serious title contenders.

"We have to play the games," added Nuno. "We are here to compete against all the teams. I think we are doing well and nothing changes in our approach.

"If we start thinking about ifs...it's if, if, if, if. At the end of the game, there will be no ifs...

"No-one in this room could ever predict what is happening. It is the ambition and desire to do things well, and the hard work of the players and commitment."

Pat Riddell
Fan writer

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Going out in the early stages of any cup is always an excuse to use the line: "Now we can concentrate on the league."

Nottingham Forest's dismissal of Luton Town in the third round of the FA Cup - not always an easy time for the Reds - sets up an away tie at Exeter City next month.

And rather than it being a distraction from the job at hand - namely Liverpool on Tuesday, and the push for Europe - the cup has provided the perfect opportunity for the squad players to impress.

Nuno Espirito Santo, at Wolves and now Forest, prefers a smaller squad - for unity and spirit as much as anything - and the FA Cup allows those on the fringes to be involved in the first team and push for minutes in the league.

More importantly, giving those players a run out and bringing on the likes of Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi keeps them fresh for the imminent games with top-of-the-table Liverpool and and bottom-of-the-table Southampton.

Meanwhile, the return of midfielder Danilo after breaking his ankle in August is like a new signing in a transfer window and could further strengthen the Reds. We wait to see if there are further additions this month.

Should we get past Exeter into the next round - and believe me, no Forest fan takes any result for granted - then the line-up might resemble something more familiar.

But until then, the cup is not just a distraction - welcome or otherwise - it is an essential factor in maintaining the harmony that currently exists at The City Ground.

Fixture congestion is something we can happily worry about in the future.

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Is it fair to say Liverpool have gone a little bit flat recently?

That is probably a bit harsh, because they only lost narrowly to Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, and they still should have beaten Manchester United in their last league game despite an underwhelming performance - they just were not ruthless enough.

Arne Slot's side are still six points ahead of Arsenal and Forest, with a game in hand, but I think they could drop more points here too.

The Forest defence has been formidable and 'The Wood Chopper' [Chris Wood] up front has been superb. The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White have really impressed me as well.

Basically, this is going to be a very tight game with not many goals in it, and I am not going to back against Forest even if there are many ways where I think Liverpool might sneak a victory.

You have got to earn the right to win the Premier League, and Liverpool have done brilliantly so far.

When you are in a title race, there are always moments in the season where things can go against you a little bit, like they did against United, but they did not lose.

This might be a period where they do stumble a bit but the teams below them are going to have to really sustain their push.

That's not really happened so far because Arsenal and Chelsea are both having a bit of a wobble. If Liverpool do drop more points here, those two sides really need to make the most of it.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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"If Nottingham Forest beat Liverpool, Arsenal are favourites for the title again and Forest are contenders to win it as well."

That is the view of The New York Times' chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith, previewing Tuesday's showdown between first and third in the Premier League.

"Forest have been extraordinary this season - they are the story of the season by some distance", he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"What Forest have done is astonishing. I think Liverpool being top is less of a surprise than Forest being third.

"They are both good stories and I didn't think Liverpool would be six points clear at the top, but given Forest finished 17th last season and Liverpool were in a title race until mid-April it is a bigger story.

"Liverpool have been much further along than anyone anticipated but Forest have been extraordinary.

"It feels like one of those seasons where Manchester City have had their slump, Manchester United are a work in progress, Chelsea have fallen away and Arsenal haven't won for five days so are in crisis!

"Liverpool have in the past couple of weeks started to look a little bit less smooth than they have at certain points.

"The last time that happened was the year Leicester won the league. It is possible, but very unlikely, and if Forest were to win - which is more than feasible - they would be three points behind having played a game less.

"If Forest win it would be ridiculous to talk about a team level on points with Arsenal and say they can't win it.

"It is possible Nottingham Forest could go all the way."

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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Leicester's title-winning captain Wes Morgan believes the Premier League big boys should underestimate Nottingham Forest at their peril.

The defender, who made 403 appearances for Forest before joining the Foxes in 2012, insists it could play into their hands in any title race.

Morgan lifted the Premier League trophy after Leicester's 5,000-1 title win in 2016 and Forest will move to within three points of leaders Liverpool if they beat Arne Slot's side at The City Ground on Tuesday.

Leicester eventually won the league by 10 points, ahead of Arsenal, and Morgan knows exactly what Forest - who are third behind the Gunners Arsenal on goal difference - are going through.

"That's probably where it's quite similar with Forest and Leicester. No-one expects you to sustain that push at the top. So you are not really taken seriously," said Morgan, now back with the Reds as a national scout for the emerging talent recruitment team.

"You go under the radar a little bit, which is great for the players because they've not got that pressure.

"You can do your work without that expectation. Everyone wants that punchline, that headline: Can you win the league? Can you do this?

"They perform better when they haven't got that pressure; when that expectation is much lower.

"So you're achieving more and you can just be free in your play and what you want to do."

Nottingham Forest are open to offers for striker Emmanuel Dennis, with interest from clubs in the Championship, Serie A and La Liga. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wayne Hennessey has signed a short-term deal to keep him at Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.

The goalkeeper's contract initially expired last summer but he has stayed on at the club while he recovers from a serious Achilles injury.

Hennessey, 37, made nine appearances for Forest after joining on a free transfer from Burnley in 2022 and could be included in the 25-man Premier League squad, with third-choice Aaron Bott sidelined by a knee injury.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: "He has signed a contract. He is with us and it is a pleasure to have him around. He has experience and, with the way he goes about things... he is a really good person to have around. I am very happy.

"Wayne had a serious injury at the end of last season, to his Achilles. It was a tough moment for everyone but he is a big part of things for us, within the small group that is our goalkeeper community.

"He helps Matz Sels, [Carlos] Miguel and Aaron with their work. Aaron, unfortunately, is going to be out for two or three months with a knee injury.

"I call the small group of goalkeepers the 'society'. Wayne is a big part of that community.

"We have to finish the end of the transfer window. We might need him. We will see if there is a place in the 25 for him."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nottingham Forest are in this season's title race, according to defender Morato.

They host Premier League leaders Liverpool on Tuesday knowing victory would move them second and three points behind the Reds.

Nuno Espirito Santo has constantly played down any title talk in recent weeks but centre-back Morato, who joined from Benfica in the summer, believes they should be in the discussion.

"We are in this fight for the title because we deserve to be," said Morato.

"What we have done already has been incredible - the hard work we've put in. Of course, we can surprise people."

Forest could match Leicester's extraordinary title win in 2015-16 when the Foxes beat Arsenal to the league by 10 points.

After all, they have 40 points from 20 games - the same amount Leicester were on after the same number of games.

"What Leicester did was absolutely incredible and for us to do the same would be incredible too," Morato said. "We are on the right track - it's halfway through the season and there are many matches and five or six months to go.

"We are on the right track right now, better than we expected and we will certainly be there up until the last day.

"I don't agree [with the doubters]. Each team is different - sometimes experts are talking from having played in different eras."

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport Journalist

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League home game against Liverpool (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no "major" injury issues with the only question mark about Ibrahim Sangare's return and "assessing players who played all of the [last] game [against Luton]".

• On Liverpool and being considered as title challengers: "We are here to compete against all of the teams and I think we are doing well, but nothing changes in our approach, which stays 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 the game."

• On whether Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been playing mind games: "I don't know but we try as much as possible to ignore what's around. We never change. It is the way we see things, the way we see the competition. I would say it is the way we see life. It's day by day - focus on our tasks and tomorrow is another tough one."

• On compliments from opposition managers: "I am very pleased. When we do things good we should be pleased, but too many compliments can distract us so we don't pay too much attention."

• On Forest's win at Liverpool earlier in the season: "It was a long time ago. Many things have changed. Both teams are different now. It is a new game and new things will happen."

• On his plan for stopping Mohamed Salah: "Salah, Diaz, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Van Dijk, Konate, Trent... quality all over the place. A fantastic team. They have shown, not only in the Premier League but in Europe, how good they are. It is about us realising this and facing the game with the true respect necessary to play against Liverpool."

• On the transfer window: "We are in the market - that's not an if. But the transfer window in January is very difficult to operate in. One of the things we are sure on is that we have a good squad. We have good options and we have healthy players - this is not an if, this is a reality."

• On whether Liverpool underestimated Forest in the reverse fixture: "I cannot answer that. I don't know. We don't ever underestimate any opponent and the proof was against Luton. There's no easy game in football. In my view, never, ever underestimate anybody."

Listen to full commentary of Nottingham Forest v Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's FA Cup game between Nottingham Forest and Luton Town.

Here are some of your comments:

Luke: Job done and a good workout. Some minutes into the legs of players who need it, Morato, Willy Boly and James Ward-Prowse in particular looked like they'd be ready to step into the first XI if required. A fourth-round opponent will enable us to have a similar exercise, and then we can get excited about the cup if we make it to the last 16.

Steve: Workmanlike display from a team that has probably only played together on the training pitch. Good performances all round with Ramon Sosa being the standout! Good to see that there are players in the squad who could step up if needed.

Samuel: Today was a test of squad depth. Two seasons ago we played our B team against Blackpool and got thumped. Here, we produced a professional performance and pushed aside weaker opposition, extending our unbeaten run to seven and clean sheets to five in a row. What a season we're having.

Trevor: It's a game that won't last long in the memory of many fans, but for Forest it's a win, a clean sheet and no injuries or red cards. Job done.

Shaun: We came out as if we had already won just being on the pitch. You could see the players working hard. Luton played as if they had nothing to lose but our quality and team spirit showed when it really mattered. Carlos Miguel needs to get better with his distribution but his shotstopping is good. Could we look to replace him in the summer, possibly.