A SOLD-OUT City Ground will be the place to be tonight, when Nuno Espirito Santo’s side host Arne Slot’s table toppers, only six points behind the Anfield outfit in third spot.

After successfully avoiding relegation last year, Forest have lost a mere four times in 20 league matches this term — with Nuno’s side the only team to have beaten Liverpool in the Premier League so far, after their eye-catching 1-0 victory on Merseyside back in September.

“I’ve always said you can judge the table best halfway through the season,” said Liverpool boss Slot, previewing the match.

“That moment is there now, so if Forest is then up there with us, with Arsenal, Chelsea and [Manchester] City and all the others, then they definitely are a team in competition with us and with the other teams.

“They deserve to be treated like this if you look at the way they play and if you look at their results.”

Key players will be missing for Liverpool, giving Forest further impetus.

Slot’s striker Darwin Nunez is suspended for Tuesday’s clash — leaving last season’s match-winner at the City Ground, with his 99th minute goal in a 1-0 victory for then boss Jurgen Klopp’s team, sidelined for this week’s big clash. Reds centre-back Joe Gomez is also “quite far” from returning to fitness after a hamstring injury.

However, a rather more circumspect Nuno played down Slot’s assertion.

When quizzed if the Liverpool boss was attempting to play mind games during his pre-match press conference, Forest’s popular Portuguese boss replied: “I don’t know. We try as much as possible to ignore what’s around.

“We never change. The way we see things is the way we see the competition and the way we see life. It’s day by day, focus on our tasks, and [Liverpool] is another tough one.

“Nothing changes in our approach. It’s the same.

“We know what we can do, how we want to do things, and we know each other — our strengths and weaknesses,” adding, “let’s play the game.”

Forest have been viewed as this season’s surprise package, given the fact they sit above billionaire moneybags Manchester City which, despite poor form, are still the reigning champions after lifting the title for an unprecedented four years in a row, with Nuno’s impressive side also now competing with the likes of successive runners-up Arsenal.

Fighting two relegation battles on the bounce since their return to the top-flight, Forest boss Nuno insisted nobody would have expected the club to be where they are, in only their third campaign back among the top table elite, following two decades in the wilderness.

“No-one could’ve predicted what is happening.

“It is the ambition and desire to do things well and the hard work and commitment of the players,” that has propelled Forest to their heady position, the modest manager explained.