Liverpool visit Nottingham Forest on Saturday targeting their first away win in the Premier League this season. So, what is the Reds’ recent record at a Championship play-off winner?
Well, the Anfield outfit have not won away to the reigning play-off champions since Sadio Mane clinched a 2-1 result at Aston Villa in November 2019. Jurgen Klopp’s side has since failed to take all three points at the team who won the second-tier’s Wembley showpiece.
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Klopp will hope to change the script on Saturday when Liverpool travel to face Nottingham Forest. The Merseysiders are currently the 15th-best Premier League side on the road this season after four away games. They have just two points from two draws and two defeats.
Liverpool have also only managed to score five goals to seven conceded in their top-flight away days this term. But the Reds will get comfort in Nottingham Forest holding the worst record at home. Steve Cooper’s side has only won once over their five at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest are struggling in the Premier League as the play-off winners
Nottingham Forest beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 at Wembley back in May to seal the club’s long-awaited return to the top-flight. The City Ground natives had not contested a Premier League term since 1999. Levi Colwill’s own goal from a James Garner cross settled the tie.
However, Cooper has struggled to get his Nottinghamshire natives firing after a mammoth £157.5m spend this summer. Forest set a new record after signing 21 players over the off-season. Yet they are in the relegation zone after 11 games after one win to seven defeats.
West Ham United got the unwanted honour of being the sole side that Nottingham Forest have beat after a 1-0 affair in August. Liverpool will now look to avoid repeating the Irons’ result and improve their own record away to the reigning play-off winners this weekend…
Liverpool drew 3-3 with Brentford away to the 2021 play-off winners last season
Brentford booked their place in the Premier League by beating Swansea City in the play-off final in 2021. Liverpool would come to town for the sixth match of the Bees’ first top-flight term. And the Reds would fail to claim all three points after a late goal from Yoane Wissa.
Wissa’s goal saved Brentford from defeat in Liverpool’s last Premier League game away to a reigning play-off winner. Ethan Pinnock had broken the deadlock for Thomas Frank’s side in the 27th minute. But strikes from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead.
Curtis Jones also restored Liverpool’s one-goal advantage with 23 minutes left to play after Vitaly Janelt equalised for the Bees. Yet the Reds again failed to hold onto their advantage as Wissa clipped in a loose ball at close range to punish Salah for missing moments earlier.
Liverpool drew 1-1 with Fulham away to the 2020 play-off winners in 2020/21
Fulham secured promotion back into the top-flight at the end of the 2019/20 season after beating Brentford in the play-offs. The Cottagers would later host Liverpool on December 13. And the west Londoners ensured the Reds only returned to Merseyside with one point.
Liverpool also needed a 79th-minute penalty from Salah to save themselves from a defeat in the capital. Bobby Decordova-Reid gave Fulham a slender lead midway through the first half when his powerful drive beat Alisson Becker, who had already made three big saves.
Fulham were by far the better of the two teams through the opening period of the match. But Liverpool responded after the break and eventually got their reward when Aboubakar Kamara handled the ball. He blocked Georginio Wijnaldum’s free-kick whilst in the wall.
Liverpool last won away to the reigning play-off winners in Aston Villa in 2019/20
Aston Villa regained their Premier League status in 2019 after beating Derby County 2-1 at Wembley. But the Birmingham natives’ return to the big time would coincide with what is still Liverpool’s most recent win away to the reigning play-off winners after a 2-1 triumph.
Liverpool visited Aston Villa with a strong record in their recent Premier League matches away to a play-off winner. But Klopp would need Mane to step up in the fourth minute of stoppage time to claim the spoils. He also needed Andrew Robertson just to claim a draw.
Trezeguet had put Aston Villa ahead 21 minutes into the match when he calmly met John McGinn’s free-kick. Mane came close to scoring a reply soon after but could only force a strong save from Tom Heaton. Salah also headed over a chance to draw the Reds level.
Eventually, Robertson came up trumps in the 87th minute when the left-back met Mane’s floated cross. The Senegalese sensation then turned goalscorer deep into stoppage time as he glanced Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner past Heaton for a smash-and-grab at Villa Park.
The Reds won 2-1 at Craven Cottage after Fulham’s promotion in 2018/19
Fulham kicked off a period of the club’s history as a yo-yo side in 2018 when they won the play-off final against Aston Villa. The Craven Cottage natives would immediately return to the second-tier, though. Another promotion, relegation and promotion would then follow.
Liverpool would not travel away to Fulham until March 2019 but maintained their Premier League title challenge with a win. Mane was again instrumental to the Reds’ result as the now-£35m Bayern Munich star broke the deadlock at Craven Cottage in the 26th minute.
Mane started and finished the move which would return his 17th of 22 goals that season. He also earned the penalty James Milner converted after 81 minutes to restore a one-goal margin. Sergio Rico tripped the winger just seven minutes after Ryan Babel had equalised.
Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium in 2017/18
Huddersfield Town contested their first-ever campaign as a Premier League club during the 2017/18 season. The Terriers pipped Reading 4-3 on penalties to secure their promotion in the play-off final. But they had to wait until January 2018 for Liverpool to pay them a visit.
And it only took until the 26th minute for Emre Can to put Liverpool ahead on their trip to the John Smith’s Stadium. The German broke the deadlock when his low drive deflected in off Philip Billing. Roberto Firmino then struck a second in the first minute of stoppage time.
Salah rounded off the Reds’ result from the penalty spot with 12 minutes left on the clock. Billing fouled Can to hand Liverpool a chance to add another win to their record of Premier League results away to play-off winners. A record that features three wins in their last five.
Klopp will hope to see Liverpool keep their record of Premier League results away to play-off winners at three wins in their last five on Saturday when they visit Nottingham Forest.
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