Nottingham Forest will host Luton Town at the City Ground on Saturday, with a spot in the FA Cup fourth round on the line.
Nottingham Forest have been in exceptional form this season, and they are currently in the top four of the Premier League ahead of the visit of Luton Town for the FA Cup third-round clash at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The Tricky Trees will certainly fancy their chances of getting a good result this weekend. They look to secure their place in the next round of the competition with a victory. On the other hand, Luton Town are in dreadful form right now, and they have lost five matches from their last six.
The Hatters are on a four-match losing run, and they will struggle against an in-form Nottingham Forest side. Luton Town are likely to crash to yet another defeat here. It will be interesting to see if they can turn things around and pull off an upset, but it seems highly unlikely. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming FA Cup tie.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Ibrahim Sangare is the only injury worry for the hosts due to a thigh injury. Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Luton Town, with Matz Sels in goal.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Nikola Milenkovic will form the central defensive partnership alongside Murillo.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot, and they will look to add defensive cover and control to the side. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace, flair and goals to the side.
Morgan Gibbs-White will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates. Finally, the in-form Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Luton Town on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Luton Town
Luton have an extensive injury list, and they will be without Shandon Baptiste, Reece Burke, Alfie Doughty, Teden Mengi and Tom Lockyer against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday.
The away side are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Thomas Kaminski in goal. Daiki Hashioka, Ben McGuinness, and Amari’i Bell will start in the central defensive unit. Reuell Walters and Tahith Chong will start as the wing-backs here. They will look to protect the defensive unit and help out during counter-attacking opportunities.
As for the midfield unit, Liam Walsh, Lamine Fanne, and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu will combine in the middle of the park, and they will look to add composure, physicality, and defensive cover to the side. Finally, Carlton Morris will lead the line for Luton alongside Elijah Adebayo.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Kaminski; Hashioka, McGuinness, Bell; Walters, Walsh, Fanne, Mpanzu, Chong; Morris, Adebayo
Key Stats
- Luton Town are undefeated in their last six matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Luton Town have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Nottingham Forest have won their last six matches in all competitions.
- 10 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Luton Town have conceded nine goals in their last six matches in all competitions. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest have kept four clean sheets in a row.
Player to Watch
Morgan Gibbs-White
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is our key player to watch out for. The Englishman has been in impressive form for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, and he will look to make his mark in the FA Cup as well.
He will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and get on the score sheet himself. Gibbs-White has four goals and three assists to his name in the Premier League, and he will look to add to his tally here with a solid showing in the FA Cup.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 3-0 Luton Town
The home side are in exceptional form right now, and they are on a winning run. The Tricky Trees are full of confidence and momentum, and they should be able to grind out a positive result at home. On the other hand, the visitors are completely lacking in form and confidence.
Luton Town are on a losing streak, and Nottingham Forest are likely to pile further misery on them. A comfortable victory for the home team is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.
