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• Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills

  Arne Slot deserves praise for not being "arrogant" with his approach to succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, according to Danny Mills.

  The Dutchman has made a hugely positive start to life at Anfield since replacing long-serving Klopp ahead of the 2024-25 season.

  The 28 points Slot has collected is the joint-most of any manager in their opening 11 Premier League games along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.

  Liverpool's only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight campaign was a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.

  Indeed, only in 2019-20 (31 points) have Liverpool collected more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than their 28 this campaign.

  Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Mills has been particularly impressed by Slot's approach to a new era at Anfield.

  "Arne Slot has surprised me," Mills told Stats Perform. "They did have a difficult defeat against Nottingham Forest at home. That was a defeat not many people saw that coming, but the start he's had is unbelievable. It's incredible.

  "Training might be slightly different, but the style of play is very similar. The players are comfortable with it. They've been high-energy, closing people down, and playing at 100 miles an hour when they win the ball back.

  "It shows managerial intelligence to understand the players' qualities and build on what they had when they were successful. He hasn't overthought it or tinkered too much. 

  "He hasn’t been arrogant and said, 'I'm going to rip it up and start fresh'. It wasn't broken; it was already successful. He's just added to it."

  Liverpool won a first ever Premier League title during Klopp's eight-and-a-half years in charge, as well the Champions League in 2018-19.

  Klopp also lifted the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, setting a high benchmark to follow.

  "Liverpool identified the man they wanted, brought him in, and he's been very clever," Mills added. "He looked at the squad and thought, 'these are good players. I don't need to change too much'. 

  "That's smart because Liverpool were very successful under Klopp. If you come in and rip up the playbook and it doesn't work, players will question why they're not doing what worked under Klopp."

  Liverpool have conceded just six goals in the Premier League this season – four fewer than next-best Nottingham Forest.

  They are conceding at a rate of around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp's final season in charge (41 goals in 38 matches).

  "Slot has tweaked things slightly, maybe made them more defensively solid, which they needed to really challenge," Mills said. "Championship-winning or Champions League-winning teams are built on solid defences. 

  "You don't win without that. He's shored up the defence and allowed the players to continue doing what they were doing before."

• Silva expects Iwobi to hit new heights for in-form Fulham

  Fulham boss Marco Silva is counting on Alex Iwobi to provide his best-ever Premier League season as the Nigerian looks to continue his strong start to 2024-25 versus Wolves.

  Fulham signed off for the November international break with back-to-back wins over Brentford (2-1) and Crystal Palace (2-0) and currently sit seventh in the table.

  They are among a host of teams within distance of the Champions League spots, with Iwobi's performances a major factor in their strong start.

  He has two goals and two assists so far this term, and Silva believes he is in the form of his life.

  "For me, last season was the best season from him in the Premier League, in my opinion, and I'm sure that he's going to be better this season," Silva told Fulham's website.

  "It's the same thing that I've been saying to him.

  "I know him very well, I brought him to Everton, and when we got the chance to have him with us here at Fulham, it was a moment for us to go to sign him.

  "First, he is a really versatile player that can play in many, many positions, he can do many roles. I know where he's capable, where he feels that he can perform better.

  "He likes to be around in the middle of the pitch. But now he's playing more on the right, where he's capable, like he showed against Crystal Palace."

   

  Wolves, meanwhile, picked up their first victory of the season at the 11th attempt prior to the international break, beating Southampton 2-0 at Molineux.

  That result steadied the ship after coach Gary O'Neil had seen his position come under threat, and captain Mario Lemina thinks it will also provide a much-needed confidence boost.

   "It was really hard. We just believed since day one," Lemina told the club's media channels.

  "The whole city has been missing that sensation. To finish with this win, it's going to be good for our mental health. 

  "To be honest, we were sad for the fans, sad for the club, but now we can build from that and try to get back. We're really in a positive mentality."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Fulham – Alex Iwobi

  Only Dejan Kulusevski (25), Cole Palmer (25), and Bernardo Silva (23) have created more chances from open play in the Premier League this season than Iwobi (22).

  His expected assists total from open play of 2.9 xA is the second-highest in the competition, behind James Maddison (3.2), and he has scored more than twice as many Premier League goals against Wolves (five) than he has versus any other opponent.

  Wolves – Matheus Cunha

  Since the start of last season, only three players have been involved in a higher proportion of their side's goals in the Premier League than Wolves' Cunha (39%; 17 goals, nine assists).

  Furthermore, the Brazilian has netted in each of his last three away league games and has five goal involvements in his last five outings overall (three goals, two assists).

  MATCH PREDICTION – FULHAM WIN

  Fulham have won just one of their last eight Premier League games against Wolves (three draws, four losses), though it was in this exact fixture last season (3-2).

  However, Silva's men enter this match in excellent form, and they could win three successive Premier League games for the first time since a run of four victories in January 2023, which is the only time they have accomplished the feat since returning to the top flight in 2022.

  Wolves, meanwhile, have not won successive Premier League games since February last season and are winless in their last 11 away league matches, drawing four and losing seven while conceding 28 goals in that time.

  They have also lost seven of their last 10 Premier League matches in London including both such games this season versus Arsenal and Brentford (three wins).

  As well as Iwobi, Wolves will have to be particularly wary of their former striker Raul Jimenez. All six of his Premier League goal involvements this season (four goals, two assists) have put Fulham ahead, the best 100% rate managed in the competition so far this term.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Fulham – 54.8%

  Wolves – 22.2%

  Draw – 23%

• Arsenal players not in the best condition according to Arteta

  Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Arsenal are still struggling to get key players back to fitness ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

  Captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since August in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea prior to the international break, having suffered an injury with Norway in September, but his side are struggling elsewhere.

  Both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were substituted in the second half of that match with injuries and subsequently pulled out of the England squad.

  "We are still missing a lot and some of the guys out there are not in the best condition," Arteta told BBC Sport.

  "That is all we are asking, that they are fit and available and in the physical condition to play at this level. We have not had any of that.

  "It was patch, after patch, after patch. A lot of players starting and not in the condition to finish games, so that is what I am praying for."

  Nuno Espirito Santo, meanwhile, insists his side will take lessons into this weekend from their 3-1 defeat against Newcastle last time out.

  "When you lose and win there is always a lesson to be learnt. We must learn an important lesson, we have been punished the way we have been punishing other teams," he said.

  Despite the loss, Nottingham Forest are still fifth in the Premier League table after 11 matches, level on points with Arsenal. Nuno himself was also named September's Manager of the Month.

  "Even though we lost the game, everyone at Forest should be proud of the players and how we have been working together. OK, let’s go again," he said.

  "I’m just proud from day one of the way we have been working as a team."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

  No player has supplied more assists in the Premier League than Saka (seven), with Mohamed Salah trailing by one.

  The winger has also scored three goals for the Gunners and is one behind Kai Havertz as the club's leading scorer.

  Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

  Wood is equal-second alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Salah in the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals.

  The 32-year-old has opened the scoring on six occasions in the league this season, while he has the best conversion rate (38.1%) of any player to have made more than 10 appearances.

  MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

  Arsenal are currently in fourth place, one position above their weekend opponents Nottingham Forest.

  They are unbeaten in eight home games in all competitions so far this season (W6 D2), including in their five home games in the league (W3 D2).

  The Gunners have won six of their last seven Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, including back-to-back victories last season.

  The visitors come into this on the back of a 3-1 defeat at home to Newcastle last time out, which ended a four-match unbeaten run.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Arsenal – 67.1%

  Draw – 18.8%

  Nottingham Forest – 14.1%