With the international break now over, Liverpool will host Nottingham Forest at Anfield in a key match of the 12th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Liverpool striker Ekittik stated that he believes the team can turn things around and build momentum simply through unity and hard work.

In the last round of the Premier League, Liverpool suffered a 0-3 defeat away to Manchester City. Following this loss, Liverpool currently sits in 8th place with 18 points, 8 points behind leaders Arsenal, putting them in a precarious position in their pursuit of defending their title.

It is worth noting that after the match against Nottingham Forest, Slaughter's team also has to focus on the UEFA Champions League, making their schedule very tight.

"I think this will be a very difficult period, with a lot of games, and none of them will be easy. The games before the international break will obviously be very tough. We need to stick together and support each other because this period will be very busy. But I am confident that we can achieve something. We have a lot of games to play, which is a good opportunity for us."

"Football is all about momentum. At the start of the season, we won every game by scoring in the final moments. Then we started losing, but I think we can change that. We have the ability to get back on track to victory; it's just a matter of momentum. I believe we can improve and get better."

In addition, Nottingham Forest, now managed by new manager Dyche, is currently 19th in the standings with 9 points. In the last round, they defeated Leeds United 3-1, which successfully boosted the players' confidence.

Ekittik said, "They've changed managers and become very good defensively. Their defense is particularly strong, so I think every game in the Premier League will be tough. We need to keep working hard and prepare for this weekend."

It's worth mentioning that in last week's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, Ekitic scored his first goal for the French national team, helping the "Les Bleus" advance to the World Cup finals as group winners.

Ekittik said, "I feel very proud. It's a wonderful feeling, and I've dreamed of this moment since I was a child. This national team trip has been great, and I'm happy to be back with the team now."

“I feel like I’m getting better. Although I didn’t score many goals last month, I’ve improved in other aspects of the game. The key is to keep improving, and I think I am improving. I believe everything will be alright.”