The upcoming clash at the City Ground on Tuesday night, involving Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, carries significant implications for both teams, albeit for contrasting reasons.
Nottingham Forest, often referred to as the Tricky Trees, have the opportunity to secure their spot in third place on the table by claiming all three points. A win would also mark their first league double over United since the era of Brian Clough in the 1991/92 season, just before the inception of the Premier League.
Forest triumphed 2-1 in this particular fixture last season, and the last time they achieved consecutive league victories against United at the City Ground was in the late 1980s, during the 1988/89 and 1989/90 seasons.
Ruben Amorim’s team is keen to record back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season, following a commanding 3-0 victory over Leicester City. They are also aiming for consecutive away wins for the first time since February 2024, when they managed to string together three wins on the road.
Remarkably, Manchester United are one of only three teams in the current season yet to achieve consecutive Premier League victories, alongside relegation candidates Ipswich Town and Southampton.
The Red Devils face a daunting challenge, having lost their last two Premier League encounters against Forest, which is more defeats than they suffered in their previous 13 matches against the same opponents (W10 D2 L1).
Moreover, Forest are unbeaten in their last eight home league games, winning six, which matches their total number of victories from their preceding 24 home matches (W6 D7 L11).
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Revival
For Nuno Espirito Santo, the 2024/25 season is developing into a remarkable chapter, both for him and for Nottingham Forest, helping to restore his previously battered reputation.
After a tumultuous tenure at Tottenham Hotspur that seemed to cast him as unwanted on English shores, Nuno’s managerial journey took him to Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. Upon taking the reins at Forest from Steve Cooper, he managed to keep the club afloat, ultimately finishing the 2023/24 season in 17th place.
This season, both Nuno and his players have demonstrated their potential, securing notable away wins at iconic venues like Anfield and Old Trafford.
Striker Chris Wood has been in electrifying form, with 18 goals and three assists, positioning him as the club’s top scorer. However, a recent injury leaves him with only a 25% chance of participating in this match, which could be a significant boost for United.
Morgan Gibbs-White is also facing a late fitness assessment, looking to extend his impressive form and aiming to contribute in three consecutive Forest matches—as only a handful of players have done so in the Premier League for the club.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is among three players with five goals this season (alongside Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga), having scored decisive winners against Liverpool and Manchester City—showcasing his knack for the vital moments.
In the midfield, Elliot Anderson is proving to be instrumental, completing 1,107 passes—second highest in the squad—with an impressive accuracy rate of 82.5% on 913 successful deliveries. His 172 ball recoveries are only four behind Ola Aina’s team-leading total, emphasising the need for United to stifling this 22-year-old’s influence early on.
United’s only glimmer of hope comes from their captain, Bruno Fernandes, who continues to set the standard with a goal or assist in each of his last four Premier League outings (3G, 3A). He also found the net in the earlier match this season and hit the bar from a fierce free-kick.
His 799 passes in the attacking third outnumber the next closest teammate, Diogo Dalot, by more than double (392). However, relying too heavily on the 30-year-old for salvation isn’t a sustainable strategy.
As a unit, while United’s passing is decent with only four players below 80% accuracy, troubles persist in defence and a lack of attacking potency complicate matters for Amorim.
United’s Strikers Must Step Up
Conversely, the urgency for goals from Manchester United’s strikers cannot be ignored. Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, and Alejandro Garnacho need to start converting more chances, with current totals of three, five, and eight goals respectively. Even Marcus Rashford managed six before departing the club in early February.
To highlight United’s scoring struggles, Garnacho netted his first Premier League goal in 17 appearances against Leicester, and Hojlund’s strike in the same match marked his first in 14 league games.
Additionally, Garnacho has yet to score in back-to-back appearances in the Premier League, while it has been since May 2024 that Hojlund last achieved such a feat.
Both players may need to refine their timing when making runs, with Hojlund and Garnacho caught offside 11 and 10 times respectively—second only to the injured Amad Diallo’s count of 14. A fraction of a second could make all the difference in terms of converting chances into goals.
The most recent goalless draw between these sides took place in March 1988, with only five matches ending 0-0 since their first encounter back in October 1892 when United were known as Newton Heath.
Given both teams’ tendency to adopt an open, attacking style of play, one can anticipate an enthralling 90 minutes, with United pushing for dominance and Forest looking to exploit spaces on the counter—a tactic they’ve executed with impressive effectiveness this season.
Even if United were to win all their remaining fixtures, their maximum possible points tally this season would be just 54—marking their lowest finish in the Premier League era (the current lowest is 58 from the 2021/22 season).
Similarly, Amorim requires at least six victories from the remaining nine matches to prevent finishing the season with the fewest wins since the 1992/93 season.
With three more defeats, United would set a new record for losses in a Premier League campaign, making the stakes for this match far more than merely three points.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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