Nottingham Forest will try to build on their win over Tottenham Hostpur when they welcome Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace will be aiming to step further up in the table when they visit Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The hosts are unbeaten in the last two games in all competitions and will try to keep the momentum upwards.
Nottingham pulled off a brilliant win over Tottenham in a Carabao Cup third-round encounter and would be hoping to carry their form into the next game. Renan Lodi and Jesse Lingard registered their name on the scoresheet as the newly promoted side maintained the trend of bullying big teams in cup competitions.
They are still deeply engulfed in the relegation race and chances of their survival are only possible if they follow the path of Leicester City as a string of wins has prompted the foxes to take up a more fierce challenge.
Steve Cooper has a vast squad at his disposal and he will try to enter the World Cup break on a happy note in front of his supporters.
Palace have breached into the top ten and have tiptoed their way as they have been consistently churning out good results under the tutelage of Patrick Vieira.
They lost just once in their last six top-flight matches but couldn’t get past Newcastle United in a Carabao Cup third-round clash. Both teams failed to find the net during regulation time and palace came short in the tiebreaker as the Magpies maintain their winning streak.
A last-minute Michael Olise winner against West Ham United put an end to their horrific away run and the Londoners would not skip their chances as a win against Forest can lift them further up in the table.
Team News and Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Orel Mangala won’t be available for a suspension while Omar Richards, Harry Toffolo, Moussa Niakhate and Giulian Biancone will be missing the clash. Scott McKenna and Chiekhou Kouyate are doubtful and a decision will be taken before the game.
Manchester United loanee Dean Henderson would be hoping for a rare clean sheet.
Steve Cook and Joe Worrall will have the responsibility of the deep defence while Serge Aurier and Renan Lodi will continue to be the preferred choice fullbacks.
Remo Freuler could celebrate his Switzerland call-up with a good display on the pitch and he will have Lewis O’Brien and Brian Yates alongside him. Morgan Gibbs-White and Jesse Lingard should start up top while Brennan Johnson will be helping them from just behind the main striker.
Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Henderson; Aurier, Worrall, Cook, Lodi; Freuler, O’Brien, Yates; Gibbs-White, Lingard; Johnson
Crystal Palace
Except for James McArthur and Chris Richards, Palace don’t seem to have any other injured players. Odsonne Edouard is sweating for his fitness and might be a last-minute entrant.
Vicente Guaita will be having another stint in between the sticks. Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have formed a solid partnership in the defence and they will be flanked by Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell.
Cheick Doucoure has been constant in the base of the midfield and alongside Jeffrey Schlupp and Eberechi Eze, they will try to find any gap in Forest’s midfield.
A Palace lineup cannot be imagined without Wilfried Zaha and both Jordan Ayew and Michael Olise will be helping him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Schlupp, Doucoure, Eze; Ayew, Zaha, Olise
Key Stats
- Forest are yet to be defeated in the Premier League by Crystal Palace.
- Palace have managed just a single win in their last nine league games.
- Palace haven’t been defeated against the newly promoted sides in the last eight games.
- Palace are unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions at their home.
Key Player
Wilfried Zaha
They don't come much cooler under pressure than Michael Olise 😎@CPFC pic.twitter.com/B0qLYS1Jrz
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 7, 2022
The Ivorian has been carrying Palace on his shoulder since he joined the side from Manchester United. The 30-year-old is in the last year of his contract and he knows he would be able to attract suitors with a few more consistent performances in his tally.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Crystal Palace
Forest’s defence has leaked the second most amount of goals in the top flight and Zaha and Co would be licking their chops to have a goal feast. The promoted side will be banking on their recent home success but the visitors will have a definite edge due to their attacking contingent.