Newcastle United face Tricky Trees in bottom-table clash.
Newcastle United return to St. James’ Park under pressure to reignite their season as they welcome Nottingham Forest in a fixture that has historically been favourable. Newcastle United vs. Nottingham Forest begins at 14:00 [GMT+1] on Sunday, October 5, at St. James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side return after a 4-0 win over Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League. However, they have struggled to build momentum so far in 2025/26, and this clash offers them a chance to find rhythm against a Forest team also battling inconsistency. As expected, Newcastle have enjoyed dominance in recent meetings between the sides. They have won six of their last seven league encounters with Forest, including three in a row since a 1-3 defeat in December 2023. The last time Newcastle managed a longer winning sequence over the Tricky Trees was back in March 1937, when they strung together five straight victories. That record will be in sight if they can claim another win on Sunday. However, for Howe’s men, the slow start has been noticeable. Six points from their opening six Premier League matches (W1 D3 L2) marks their worst start to a season under his stewardship. In fact, it is their lowest tally after six games since the Steve Bruce era in 2021/22, when they had only three points on the board. More concerning has been their vulnerability on home turf. Newcastle have conceded 90th-minute winning goals in two of their three home games this season. Before 2025/26, such late heartbreak had only occurred eight times in 574 Premier League home games at St James’ Park. It will be something the 15th-placed side would be looking to avoid when they appear with a 4—3—3 formation, having Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon and Elanga in attack.
The pressure is already piling on recently appointed Ange Postecoglou as fans sang famous ominous chants of ‘sacked in the morning’ following a 3-2 defeat to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday night. In what’s even more worrying for Big Ange, Forest’s trips to Tyneside have rarely ended happily. They have lost eight of their last nine league visits to St. James’ Park, conceding 24 goals during that run. Such statistics underline the scale of their task. They have five points so far (W1 D2 L3), with 80% of those collected under former manager Nuno. It is the lowest total recorded by a team that finished in the top seven the previous season since West Ham in 2022/23, highlighting the scale of their regression. Chris Wood may be saddled with the task of leading Forest when Ange Postecoglou's side, who are in 17th place, face the Magpies while taking the shape of a 4—2—3—1 formation.