"I keep hearing" - Chris Sutton makes scoreline prediction for Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has made his prediction for Liverpool's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday (March 2).

Jurgen Klopp's depleted side - missing a plethora of first-team stars - are coming off a thrilling 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round win in midweek over Southampton. That came just three days after their 1-0 extra time win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup final.

In his prediction column for the BBC, Sutton acknowledged the rousing performances of a largely youthful Reds side in their last two outings:

"There's been lots of praise for Liverpool's young players this week, and rightly so after the way they played in the Carabao Cup final and then beat Southampton in the FA Cup.

"It's been an excellent week for Jurgen Klopp, with the first trophy of the season under his belt and then seeing his side keeping alive the possibility of winning four of them this season."

Despite the fitness of key players being uncertain for the clash, Sutton reckons Klopp's side should have enough to see off Forest:

"It would get even better if the likes of Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo are fit enough to play in this game, and I feel like Liverpool are going to be hard to stop here.

"Forest were unlucky to go out of the FA Cup to Manchester United on Wednesday, but they have got some work to do to get to safety in the league, especially with a possible points deduction looming, that could be announced next week."

Admitting that Forest have improved recently, especially in attack, that might not be enough to stop the Reds juggernaut, predicting a 2-0 win for Klopp's side:

"I keep hearing how Nuno Espirito Santo's side are much-improved in an attacking sense. They may well have done, but it has not translated into results because they have only won once this year, and I don't see them getting another one on Saturday.

"We are now into the run-in to the end of the season and Liverpool have already shown a great habit of finding a way to win games in recent weeks. They are riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, so this one might be a bit more straightforward."

The Reds are atop the Premier League, a point ahead of Manchester City (59), after 26 games. Meanwhile, Forest are hovering just four points above the drop zone and coming off a 1-0 loss at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round.

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Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez's strike nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month

Darwin Nunez

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez's sumptuous chip in the 4-1 Premier League win at Brentford last month has been nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month.

Nunez opened the scoring with a delightful effort as Jurgen Klopp's men led at the break. Collecting Diogo Jota's headed assist, the Uruguayan beat the Brentford custodian with a show of skill.

The striker's effort is one of the eight nominations alongside that of Kobbie Mainoo, Richarlison, Joao Pedro, Declan Rice, Jefferson Lerma, Jordan Ayew and Emerson Palmieri.

Fans can vote for the award till 12 pm GMT on Monday (March 4).