Newcastle United will look to recover from the heavy defeat against Manchester City when they welcome Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend.
The Magpies were touted to cause problems to an inconsistent Manchester City side, having humbled Arsenal in the EFL Cup semi-finals; however, the Toon found themselves at the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing, with the Sky Blues ripping them apart.
Now, Eddie Howe’s men will have to shift their focus towards Nottingham Forest as they continue their quest for a place in the top four. They are currently seventh in the table with 41 points, only three points off the final Champions League spot.
Similarly, Nottingham’s momentum also took a hit after losing 2-1 to Fulham last week, which hindered their chance of closing the gap with second-placed Arsenal.
The Forest have been the dark horses in the Premier League this season and looks to be on course for a historic Champions League qualification.
A victory could help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side move close within touching distance of Arsenal, and they might be even keeping their faint title hopes alive, as they are only 14 points off the top spot.
Team News
Joelinton remains sidelined with an injury while the likes of Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes have already returned to the squad after regaining fitness.
Sven Botman, who missed the last two games due to a knee injury, could feature against Nottingham, as suggested by Eddie Howe.
As for Forest, Santos will be able to summon a fully fit squad, with Taiwo Awoniyi returning to the fold after missing the game against Fulham due to a broken nose.
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest – Probable line-ups
Predicted Newcastle United Playing XI: Martin Dubravka, Lewis Hall, Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak
Predicted Nottingham Forest Playing XI: Mats Sels, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Morato, Elliot Anderson, Danilo, Morgan Gibbs White, Neco Williams, Ola Aina, Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood
Key Battles
Chris Wood vs Fabian Schar
Chris Wood’s phenomenal scoring form continued against Fulham despite the defeat, as he took his tally to 18 goals this season. Wood has been one of the lethal finishers in the league, with the defenders finding it difficult to handle his presence inside the box. He will be up against Schar, who had a lacklustre outing against Manchester City. Forest prefer to catch their opponents with deep blocks and devastating counter-attacks, and Newcastle could fall into this trap with their high press and attacking style of play. Wood will be a dangerous outlet in such situations, with Schar having a huge task in his hands to prevent him.
Isak vs Murillo
It will be one of the eye-catching battles to watch out for, and it might decide the outcome of the game. Isak, who has been in prolific form this season, will be up against Murillo, one of the league’s best defenders. The Swedish striker has been a nightmare for defenders, but it remains to be seen whether he can get the better of a defensive colossus like Murillo.
Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest – Where to watch?
United Kingdom
The Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest will be broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-2 Nottingham Forest
