In fullRead Arne Slot's programme notes ahead of Nottingham Forest clash

The Reds return after the international break aiming to build upon their unblemished start to 2024-25, in which they've won their opening three fixtures without conceding a goal.

Nevertheless, Slot believes there is still room for improvement in certain areas – and knows a run of seven games in three different competitions across the next three weeks will test his squad.

The head coach writes: “This is our first game after the international break so the target is to pick up where we left off as we enter a period of the season that we know is going to be more intense than what went before.

“Up until this point, we have played one game each week but from now on we will play a match pretty much every three days so we have to be ready for that because the challenges will come thick and fast.

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“As a squad and as a staff we have to be prepared for what is coming. Today we have the Premier League, in midweek we will play in the Champions League, then we have Premier League again and then it is Carabao Cup. This is all within the space of 11 days so it is a big challenge but also an exciting one.

“The big positive is that we enter into this period having started the season well. Aside from the first half against Ipswich Town on the opening day, our football has been good and the rewards we have had have been deserved.

“Our early objective was to take as many points as we could from our first three games and we managed to do that. At the same time, though, neither myself nor anyone else associated with the first team believes we have done so well that there is no room for improvement. In reality, the opposite is true.

“This is not to dampen excitement or to play down expectations – we want our fans to believe in what we are doing and to have hopes based on what they are seeing from the team. But at the same time, we have a collective responsibility to find areas for improvement wherever they may be and this will always be our approach whether results are good, bad or indifferent.

“The team had a lot of praise after our win against Manchester United and much of it was deserved but just as we are aware of the things we did well, we also know that there are certain elements that we could have done better. The start of the match was difficult, for example, and we also had some moments where Alisson [Becker] had to make really good saves.

“Again, highlighting these issues isn’t to downplay the result or the performance. If we can be good – and we were certainly good at Old Trafford – but still know that we can get better this is not a bad position to work from.

“To put it as simply as I can – we have made a good start but there is still so much to prove.

“I would like to welcome Nuno Espirito Santo and the staff, players and officials of Nottingham Forest to Anfield. Of course, we are aware that Forest have made a good start to the season themselves and will come into this fixture unbeaten so we should be prepared for the kind of challenge that a team in this kind of moment will bring.

“They also won two of their final three games of last season so it is clear that Nuno is adding a consistency to their play and also their results. Forest are hard to beat and will be hard to beat. I am sure that their ambitions for this season will be to improve on the previous one as much as possible so for all of these reasons we should expect to face a tough opponent.

“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to Ron Yeats on behalf of all of the Liverpool staff and players.

“I have not been at the club for too long and I know Ron had been ill for a while so I never had the fortune of meeting him but from the stories I have heard and read it is clear that he was and always will be a legendary figure in the history of Liverpool FC.

“It is always a privilege to follow on from players and coaches who set the standards. It is also a responsibility that all of us take very seriously.

“More than anything, though, our thoughts are with Ron’s family, friends and former teammates.”

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