Super Eagles striker set to enter the record books as Liverpool aim to compound Forest woes

It is set up to be the battle of the Reds at the City Ground on Saturday, but all eyes will be on the Nigerian as he faces his former employers

Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi is in line to play his first match against his former club Liverpool when Nottingham
Forest host the Merseysiders at the City Ground at noon on Saturday.

Awoniyi was on the payroll of Liverpool for six years, joining the Anfield giants in 2015 after helping Nigeria win the FIFA u17 World Cup.

The ex-Golden Eaglets hero left the Reds permanently last year – without making a single first-team appearance – to team up with Union Berlin in Germany.

Awoniyi excelled in the Bundesliga, convincing Nottingham Forest to part with a then club-record €20.5m to bring him back to England.

Despite spending big in the summer, Nottingham Forest are struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League.

The newly-promoted side sits at the bottom of the league table, equalling their worst record after 11 games of a top-flight season, set in 1992.

Forest are winless in nine Premier League fixtures and are the only side in the Premier League this season yet to score from outside the penalty area.

But in Awoniyi, Forest have a striker who needs no extra motivation to shoot down Liverpool.

Aside from the desire to show Liverpool what they lost, the Nigerian forward could enter the Nottingham Forest record books.

With a goal on Saturday, Awoniyi can become the first player to score in each of his first three Premier League home starts for Forest.

In his first start at the City Ground, Awoniyi’s strike helped Nottingham Forest beat West Ham 1-0 – it remains the club’s only win this term.

Awoniyi’s second home start was in the 2-3 defeat at home to Fulham.

Liverpool have won half of the previous 100 league meetings, but Forest are unbeaten in 12 top-flight home games in this fixture since a 2-0 defeat on 28 October 1984