Nottingham Forest will aim to keep their unbeaten start to the new campaign going when they host Wolves, who have lost their opening games.
Nuno Espirito Santo will not have been disappointed at his team’s start to a new season. He will have been mildly upset by the team’s concession of a late goal against Bournemouth when they were close to collecting three points, as the game ended in a draw. Up next for Nottingham Forest are Wolves.
Last weekend, the Tricky Trees made amends as this time they held on to their slender lead against newly-promoted Southampton, with Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike proved the difference. Nuno Espirito Santo will hope Nottingham Forest continue on that momentum and take another win under the bag when the meet Wolves.
Last season, the two teams drew both their games, with the contest in April proving particularly entertaining following a 2-2 draw. That point did help Forest in their quest to avoid relegation despite a points deduction for breaching PSR rules.
Gary O’Neil seems somewhat stranded at Wolves, and the feeling is that the manager is very unhappy with the transfer business done by the club. Following key exits in another summer window, the East Midlands side has not adequately found suitable replacements, as it showed in the performances against Arsenal and then Chelsea.
Meeting two London giants in the first two games of the season would have been a daunting task for any mid-table club’s manager. O’Neil’s side were restricted at Arsenal on opening day, but they were perfect in the first half against Chelsea.
Goals from Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen ended the half with a 2-2 scoreline. However, Chelsea came out of the blocks in the second period, as a Noni Madueke hat-trick proved decisive as Wolves were hit for six goals by the time the final whistle arrived. O’Neil will seek a stern response from the Wolves player after that mauling, as he could hope for his first points against Nottingham Forest to kick-start their season.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest will be without Danilo, who is expected to miss a considerable period on the sidelines. Ryan Yates is also under some considerable doubt after missing the midweek EFL cup clash against Newcastle United.
There is the potential to see Alex Moreno in action in the Premier League as he could push for a place at left-back with Ola Aina and Harry Toffolo competing for that spot. Nuno Espirito Santo could recall Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic back in his defence, after resting the paid for the midweek cup clash.
With Yates a significant doubt and the potential move for James Ward-Prowse unlikely to make the West Ham midfielder available for this clash, Espirito Santo will likely go with a midfield pairing of Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare. The manager could rely on Chris Wood to lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Wolves.
The failure to sign Santiago Gimenez will have been a blow. Still, Espirito Santo does have the New Zealand international as well as Taiwo Awoniyi in his ranks to rely on.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Anderson, Sangare; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Wolves
Wolves will be without Enso Gonzalez and Sasa Kalajdzic for this encounter, with both those players sidelined for the forseeable future. There are no fresh fitness concerns in the side following their games so far, meaning Gary O’Neil could call upon his most robust available lineup for the Forest encounter.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has made himself a significant prospect to begin games after his first goal for the club against Chelsea, although his overall performances have been impressive. Rodrigo Gomes, Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan are pencilled in for roles in the attacking third.
Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes are the preferred midfield pairing for the Wolves boss. Toti Gomes and Santiago Bueno could form the centre-back partnership at the back, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matt Doherty the options in those full-back roles.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Jose Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Joao Gomes, Lemina; Hwang, Cunha, Rodrigo Gomes; Strand Larsen
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have drawn their last four matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Wolves have lost their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Wolves are one of the five teams yet to pick up a point in the Premier League.
- Wolves have conceded at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Jorgen Strand Larsen
After an impressive display in the first half against Chelsea, Strand Larsen was able to show there are bags of potential in the player, and he is ready for the big stage. The attacker could become an integral part of Gary O’Neil’s plans in the coming period, as, at this stage, he seems like the natural replacement for the departed Pedro Neto.
However, there is a need for the team to get going this season following back-to-back losses to begin the campaign. Strand Larsen might have to step up in the role and reach the goals that could help Wolves get their first points, and there is no better way to do it than against Forest.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Wolves
Wolves do have a good starting eleven but lack in squad depth, that could become a problem for them heading into another season of uncertainty. The Midlands side face their rivals Forest in a crunch encounter, and surprisingly they are not coming into this one as favourites.
Nottingham Forest have the advantage over Wolves with their momentum and the unbeaten start to the campaign, which will play a role on Saturday. Nuno Espirito Santo will want the run going for as long as possible, and they could take advantage of their opponents’ bad start and inflict further damage with a win at home.
