Liverpool

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"If tonight goes our way, people might start to think differently."

Nottingham Forest fan Ben Marshall says the club's supporters have been coy about thinking their side is in the title race - but accepts that could change quickly.

"We've got to be realistic," he told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "Tonight is a really tough test - it all still feels quite frankly surreal.

"You talk about a top of the table Premier League clash and then you realise it's us - it's fantastic.

"The whole city is excited - we're just enjoying the ride. European football is something we're absolutely in the frame for but we've got our feet on the ground.

"To suggest we're on for a title push is probably a little too soon, but if tonight goes our way, people might start to think differently."

On the other side of the game, Liverpool fan John Gibbons from The Anfield Wrap agreed on its importance and says there is "respect" for the challenge Forest will pose.

"We found them really tough to play against at Anfield and last year was similar," he said. "Arne Slot was surprised earlier in the season that they lost, and I think Liverpool will have a lot more respect for them.

"It's a massive game for us and a big opportunity, if we can win the top of the table looks even better from a Liverpool point of view."

"I'm happy to put my neck on the line and say a Liverpool win. This team normally comes good on the big nights and it's a big one tonight.

"I think Liverpool will win 2-1."

Listen to full commentary of tonight's game from 20:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live

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We asked for your views on has Jayden Danns done enough to deserve selection ahead of Darwin Nunez?

Here are some of your comments:

Bryan: Nunez has had plenty of opportunities at Liverpool. It is clear to everybody that he isn't a natural finisher, and adds very little to the team apart from his energetic style. He is becoming a liability. Fortunately for Liverpool, the misses he has had haven't mattered, but at some point they will. Danns took his chance, and should be back-up to the front four of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.

Iain: While Nunez is a Liverpool player he should be used but only for specific parts of games - unless he suddenly finds better form. Younger players need to be managed carefully and not overused but built up over time. Plenty of room for both to play.

Ged: Danns looks the part - he seems to have the striker's knack to be in the right place, plus the coolness to finish. Liverpool have been very patient with Nunez. However, he now needs to step to one side for Danns.

Ian: As much as I like the idea Nunez will turn out good, it is not going to happen for him at Anfield. We don't play the type of football that suits his game. We need a proper number nine to complement the rest of our attacking options. Jota can't play in every game and any pressure that is taken from Salah's shoulders has to be a good thing.

Al: I'm a massive Nunez fan but I really don't think we can afford to keep playing him. His confidence is shot - even Danns looks a better bet. Need to send him out on loan maybe or cash in.

Roger: Nunez has had his chances and missed all of them. Danns looks like he could do the job if given the opportunity.

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."

Listen to the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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Jayden Danns has played about 100 minutes of professional football for Liverpool. In that time, he has scored three goals.

The Scouser came off the bench against Accrington Stanley on Saturday and did more in 20 minutes than Darwin Nunez did in 90.

It is about time Arne Slot seriously considers selecting Danns ahead of Nunez, who has had enough chances to prove himself as a proper Liverpool number nine.

He misses chances. His head goes down. He makes bad decisions and you never, ever trust him in big moments.

Nunez is the only player to noticeably regress under Slot. With Jurgen Klopp in charge, Nunez was inconsistent and chaotic, but he still scored 18 goals last season. Halfway through this term, he only has two.

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Danns is confident, composed and just looks a much better finisher than the Uruguayan.

Really, Liverpool need a new number nine and to sell Nunez to the highest bidder - but until then, Danns deserves opportunities. He can also hold the ball up and press, and has physical traits which belie his 18 years.

If Slot is not going to use Danns, then a Championship loan should be sanctioned.

Ideally, though, he will stay and start the FA Cup fourth-round tie at Plymouth and hopefully the two Champions League dead rubbers coming up at the end of this month.

What do you think, Liverpool fans? Has Danns done enough to deserve selection ahead of Nunez?

Let us know here

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

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."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport England

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Miron Muslic says he has not had any time to think about Plymouth Argyle's forthcoming FA Cup tie against Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Pilgrims will face the six times champions of Europe early next month after beating Brentford in the third round on Saturday.

Muslic, who was appointed late on Friday night, was in the stands for the victory and takes charge of his first game on Tuesday night when Argyle host fellow Championship strugglers Oxford United.

The Pilgrims are bottom of the second tier and parted company with head coach Wayne Rooney on 31 December.

The Liverpool tie will be Muslic's sixth game in charge, five of which are at Home Park.

"I'm not thinking about stuff like this," Muslic told BBC Sport when asked about Liverpool's visit.

"The last 72 hours has been so much for me and I've tried to maximize my attention towards the team.

"I tried maximise my attention towards the things I can immediately impact, and this is my team and Oxford and QPR next Saturday.

"Liverpool is far, far away. So when Liverpool is in front of us two days before I will jump in on Arne Slot and Liverpool for sure, but not before."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says it "will be a very difficult challenge" for his side when they travel to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

Forest are the only team to have beaten the Reds at home this season.

Rob Schofield
BBC Radio 5 Live football reporter

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With Nottingham Forest and Liverpool separated by six points at the top of the Premier League table, their meeting at The City Ground on Tuesday has a throwback feel to it.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s the two clubs were locked in a tussle for all the major honours, with Brian Clough and Bob Paisley establishing a fierce rivalry.

Arne Slot joked that his press officer had briefed him 10 minutes before his press conference, admitting he "didn't know the exact years" but was aware Forest had been a big force in English football for a long period of time".

It is perhaps understandable considering the Dutchman was born merely months after Forest beat Liverpool to the old First Division title back in 1978, before going on to lift back-to-back European Cups.

The Liverpool manager explained how he is under no illusions of the threat this week's opponents pose now though, having recently watched back September's 1-0 defeat at Anfield – Liverpool's only loss in the Premier League this season – to assess what they could do differently.

He did not however miss the opportunity to point out that for as impressive as Forest have been, they have splashed the cash to be in title contention.

"Nuno is doing an incredible job," he said with a smile. "But if you look at the amount of money they've spent, its not a complete surprise how well they're doing this season."

Forest were deducted four points last season for breaching profit and sustainability rules. The club spent £142.8m when promoted in 2022 and had a modest off-season the following year, before an £88m outlay in the most recent summer.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game at Nottingham Forest (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Joe Gomez remains "quite far away" from a return from injury, with Slot adding: "He will definitely not be training with the team yet."

• Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez will miss Tuesday's game through suspension but Diogo Jota "is ready to play 90 minutes" after a period of managing minutes.

• Slot said Wataru Endo, who came on as centre-back against Tottenham, "is a very important player in the team" and "always gives everything he has."

• On the academy players who have featured in cup competitions: "It is very important for every club but especially this club. This club has always brought talent through the ranks and it is nice to see a few having an impact in training sessions and in games. It gives a good energy in the training ground and team when they are doing well."

• Slot said "it is going to be a very difficult challenge" to get a result against Nottingham Forest as they are "definitely" capable of competing for the Premier League title.

• On the reverse fixture, Liverpool's only home defeat of the season: "To lose on that day was hard to take. Now, looking back and seeing where they are in the league, it is not such a shock result as it felt then. They had a good game plan and made us play a poor game. We have to do better. We have to look into the details."

• He said he expects "the atmosphere to be fired up from the start," so they will have to be switched on from the whistle to avoid giving the home crowd being any more vocal.

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Nottingham Forest v Liverpool from 20:00 GMT on Tuesday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's FA Cup game between Liverpool and Accrington Stanley.

Here are some of your comments:

Paul: Great to see some of the young boys get a break in the first team. I so wanted Nunez to score, but absolutely delighted for Federico Chiesa - may this be the first of many in Liverpool red.

Ian: Not a bad game. Liverpool rarely got into second gear. It was nice to see the youngsters having a run out and Chiesa looked lively. Darwin Nunez was disappointing again with one assist and a glaring chance hoofed over the bar, and Diogo Jota didn't do much either - he looked tired.

Sean: I thought Wataru Endo was our best player by far, especially when you consider he was playing centre-half instead of in midfield.

Jason: A solid, routine home win. More minutes for Jota, Harvey Elliott and Connor Bradley to sweep away comeback cobwebs. Result was never in doubt after Trent Alexander-Arnold's piledriver. I'm a big Chiesa fan - he showed his silky skills and proved his fitness. Not a starter yet, but certainly a high-impact sub at the very least. Massive credit to Accrington for a highly entertaining second half. They deserved a consolation goal, but I'm glad we kept a clean sheet. Finally, a special shoutout to Rio Ngumoha for his senior debut.

Edem: That was some performance. Chiesa and youngsters like Jayden Danns need more game time. I don't see why Nunez gets to play - he needs to leave the club, probably on loan.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport England

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It is a dream tie in the FA Cup for Plymouth Argyle as Premier League leaders Liverpool are set to come to town next month.

The Pilgrims will be hoping they can go one better than the last time these two sides met in the third round eight years ago.

At Anfield Argyle held a young Liverpool side to a 0-0 draw as 9,000 members of the Green Army made the 293-mile trip to Merseyside.

It took one of the rarest of footballing feats - a Luca Leiva header - to separate the sides 1-0 in the replay at Home Park as Divock Origi had a penalty saved by Luke McCormick as the then-League Two side frustrated Jurgen Klopp's team.

Fast forward to 2025 and Argyle are bottom of the Championship and have just seen Wayne Rooney - hero of Liverpool's arch rivals Everton and Manchester United - leave his role as head coach.

It will be a first taste of FA Cup football for his replacement Miron Muslic and a first-ever away FA Cup tie for Klopp's successor Arne Slot.

Argyle may well be struggling in the league and have won just five times at Home Park in all competitions this season, but their tails will be up.

They upset Premier League opposition in the last round when they beat Brentford 1-0 and the squad will be keen to impress their new head coach.

Liverpool cannot afford to take the Pilgrims lightly in their quest to win trophies on four fronts.

The draw for the FA Cup fourth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

Games will be played over the weekend of 8 February.

• Manchester United v Leicester

• Brighton v Chelsea

• Exeter v Nottingham Forest

• Coventry v Ipswich

• Blackburn v Wolves

• Mansfield/Wigan v Fulham

• Birmingham v Newcastle

• Plymouth v Liverpool

• Everton v Bournemouth

• Aston Villa v Tottenham

• Southampton v Burnley

• Leyton Orient/Derby v Manchester City

• Doncaster v Crystal Palace

See the full draw

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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It may have come against League Two opposition, but Liverpool's victory over Accrington Stanley will have been a highly satisfactory one for Reds boss Arne Slot - for a number of reasons.

The Dutchman fielded a strong team which subjected their opponents to relentless pressure in the first half and eventually took a deserved lead through Diogo Jota just before the half-hour mark.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and was criticised by some fans following last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, silenced those critics with a tremendous strike into the top corner on the stroke of half-time.

Rio Ngumoha, the youngest player to start a match for Liverpool at just 16 years and 135 days old, was a lively presence down the Reds' left and received a warm ovation from the Anfield crowd after being replaced by fellow teenager Jayden Danns - scorer of the hosts' third.

But it was Federico Chiesa who had the final say, capping an energetic display with his first goal for the club late on.

The summer signing from Juventus has endured an injury-hit campaign so far but will hope Saturday's goal marks the start of a career revival.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance here

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Arne Slot spoke to ITV after Liverpool's victory against Accrington Stanley: "Credit to them, I think they showed their style of play, which is a big compliment.

"They played the same style as they always play. In the end, of course, the difference in quality makes a big difference for us, but compliments to them with how they showed up today."

On Rio Ngumoha: "He did well. There were a few moments where the fans could see why we think he's a talent. He is good in one-v-one situations.

"He showed a bit more in the first half than in the second half. It is nice to get your debut and get the win. It is a special day for him."

On Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance: "Trent didn't have his best game against Man Utd, but for the rest of the season he has been so good for us - I liked his performance today.

"Our fans have always given him a lot of support. He didn't play well, but fans reacted to that.

"If Trent just plays what we expect from him, then he gets support."

On Federico Chiesa's first goal for Liverpool: "It is definitely a good first step, but as much as I liked the way Accrington Stanley played we have to take into consideration that we're talking about League Two level.

"It is good to have him back on the pitch. He was a threat, but let's not get carried away."