LONDON: Arne Slot said the best-performing team, Nottingham Forest “deserves” to be treated as Premier League (EPL) title contenders as he prepared Liverpool for their visit to the City Ground early Wednesday morning.
Third-placed Forest have handed Liverpool their only defeat this season and they can move three points behind the favourites if they win their seventh consecutive game this midweek.
Forest were just outside the relegation zone last season and their current position comes as a huge surprise.
However, Slot, when speaking at the pre-match press conference today, said Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad must be treated like serious contenders.
“I always say the best way to see the league standings is in the middle of the season, and that’s now, so if Forest are with us, with Arsenal, Chelsea, (Manchester) City and all the others, they will definitely be competing with us and the other teams,” said the Dutchman.
“And they deserve to be treated like this if you see the way they play, if you see the results achieved. So it will be very challenging to get a good result tomorrow.”
Forest, who have not conceded a goal in the Premier League since mid-December, beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in September.
Although Slot said it was due to their performance, the result was not a surprise at the time.