-Credit:OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool being a (nearly) top-of-the-table clash would not have been something that anyone predicted at the start of the season. But with the sides meeting at the City Ground this midweek, it feels like a big one.
Chris Cavanagh will be the man in the middle. The referee took charge of the Carabao Cup final last season and left Jurgen Klopp fuming after a series of poor challenges including one on Ryan Gravenberch.
And the VAR, John Brooks, has caused both Klopp and Arne Slot to fume on the sidelines in the last few months. Slot was booked by Brooks at Anfield in the game against Chelsea when he lost his cool following a series of decisions.
READ MORE: ‘I don’t know’ – Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo responds to Arne Slot mind games claim
READ MORE: Liverpool confirms new Everton game date as Arne Slot’s schedule becomes tougher
“The booking came from the fact that, I think there were three or four decisions that didn’t go in our favor,” Slot explained at the time. “So it was a handball, I don’t know if it was, but everybody was screaming for it, so I did as well.
“Then there was the red card situation, then there was the penalty situation just afterward. So there were a few things going against us, and I think sometimes you cannot hold your emotions, and that’s what you saw with me as well.”
Slot added that he “deserved” his yellow card, stating: “This was just as clear as the penalty he should have given the second time!”
Liverpool.com says: Ultimately, the last thing anyone wants is the referee to be the center of attention. Liverpool will face a tricky battle in Nottingham, where being in control of proceedings will be crucial. If the Reds can dominate possession, quieten the crowd and limit the counter-attacking threat of the home side, that will go a long way towards winning the game.