Arne Slot has declared that high-flying Nottingham Forest “deserve” to be considered Premier League title contenders as Liverpool prepare for a challenging trip to the City Ground on Tuesday.
Third-placed Forest, responsible for Liverpool’s only league defeat this season, can move within just three points of the title favourites if they secure a seventh consecutive league victory in midweek.
Forest narrowly avoided relegation last season, and their rise to the upper echelons of the table has been a major surprise. However, Slot, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, said Nuno Espírito Santo’s team must now be regarded as serious challengers.
“I’ve always said that the table is best judged halfway through the season, and that moment is here now. If Forest are up there with us,
Arsenal, Chelsea, (Manchester) City, and all the others, then they are certainly in competition with us and the other teams,” said the Dutchman.
“And they deserve to be treated as such when you look at their style of play and their results. It’s going to be a very tough challenge tomorrow to secure a result.”
Forest, who have not conceded a Premier League goal since mid-December, defeated Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in September. Slot noted that, given their current form, the result was not the upset it seemed at the time.
The resurgence of Nuno’s team has given the Premier League a nostalgic feel. Forest, under then-manager Brian Clough, challenged Liverpool’s dominance in the late 1970s, winning the league title in 1978 and succeeding them as European champions.
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“That was quite a long time ago, but now they’re back in contention,” said Slot.
“They’re performing exceptionally well, and Nuno is doing an incredible job. But considering the amount of money they’ve spent, it’s not entirely surprising they’re doing well this season.”
Slot himself has had an impressive first season at Anfield, winning 24 out of 30 matches in all competitions. However, he downplayed his achievements since succeeding Jürgen Klopp.
“I’ve said many times that when you take on a job, you don’t think about where you’ll be halfway through the season in terms of league position,” he said.
“What you focus on is making the players really fit, getting them to work hard, and implementing the playing style as effectively as possible from the start. You can never predict what the other teams will do.”
