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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

For Arne Slot, Nottingham Forest were a sore subject twice this season.

However as Liverpool completed their 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday night, a glance over to the East Midlands showed the old foe actually doing the Reds a huge favour in this season's Premier League title race.

Thanks to Arsenal's 0-0 draw at the City Ground, goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister against the Magpies at Anfield meant Liverpool could extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League to 13 points.



The Gunners have 33 left to play for and with the league leaders showing no signs of slowing down, opportunities to drastically alter the table are ebbing away.

If not for the job Slot is doing in his first season in English football, Nuno Espirito Santo elevating his side from relegation-fighters into top-four contenders may be the greatest revelation of the season.

And the Forest boss had a brutal assessment to add to Arsenal's misery at the end of their battle.

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Asked on TNT Sports why he switched from a back five to a back four to deal with the Premier League's second-placed side, he responded: "As Arsenal doesn't have a striker, [Mikel] Merino playing that position, there is no need for an extra body.

Today we dropped two points which is very painful again and we have to step up.

"We have the Champions League, we have a beautiful competition in front of us and we need to be ready for Tuesday."

Forest's Wednesday result can hardly be taken as a surprise looking back at their September win at Anfield - which remains Liverpool's only defeat - and a frantic stalemate in January's reverse fixture.

Dropped points on those occasions put Slot in a similar mood his Arsenal rival finds himself in tonight, also earning himself a reputation with the Forest fans.

After that only blot on his league record he made sure to emphasise that the opponent was barely a top 10 side to help highlight just how big of a setback it was - Forest have since shown they are that and more.

At the following City Ground encounter they could be heard taunting Slot, singing to the tune of The Cranberries song 'Zombie': "We're in your head, in your head, Arne, Arne, Arne-Ne-Ne." Afterwards the Dutchman was comfortable admitting he was 'completely wrong' with what he had said and praised Nuno's team in full.

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Fast-forward to now closer to the end of the unfolding title race, the Liverpool head coach can call the East Midlands club somewhat of an ally for cashing in this helping hand.


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