Five-game winless run looms as Forest hosts Sunderland.
Nottingham Forest vs. Sunderland kicks off at 17:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, September 26, at City Ground.
A brace from Igor Jesus [18’, 23’] saw Forest earn a 2-2 draw with Real Betis in Wednesday’s opening round of the Europa League. Now, preparations to host Nottingham Forest are underway in what will be their first PL meeting in almost two decades. Currently in 15th place, Nottingham Forest [WDLLD] are under pressure to turn things around at home. The Tricky Trees have lost four of their last six Premier League games at the City Ground (W1 D1), including a disappointing 3-0 defeat to West Ham in their last home outing. That slump represents as many home defeats as they suffered in their previous 20 matches at the ground (W10 D6 L4), raising questions about their consistency and ability to make the City Ground a fortress. Meanwhile, the last time these two sides met in the topflight was back in the 1996-97 season, when Sunderland emerged unbeaten—winning 4-1 at the City Ground and drawing 1-1 on Wearside. New boss Ange Postecoglou [0W, 2D, 2L] might be without a win since slipping into the managerial seat but has plenty to look forward to, knowing his side’s attack has shown sparks. With 80% of their Premier League goals this season coming in the first half, it is currently the highest ratio in the division. Starting fast has been their strength, but their inability to sustain momentum has cost them dearly, particularly as they have struggled after the break. However, defensively, they’ve been vulnerable late on, conceding six second-half goals so far—second only to West Ham (nine). Nevertheless, ending a four-game winless run will be the objective when they appear with the 4—2—3—1 formation, having Chris Wood in attack.
Sunderland hold the upper hand in recent head-to-head encounters, having won five of the last seven league meetings between the sides (L2). Their most recent clash came in the Championship in December 2017, when a late strike secured a narrow 1-0 victory for the Black Cats under then-manager Chris Coleman. That record will give the visitors confidence as they head to Nottingham in good early-season form. The Black Cats have collected eight points from their opening five Premier League games [WLWDD], making this their second-best start at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 2008-09, when they had nine. Once again, Wilson Isidor is expected at the heart of Sunderland’s attacking trio when Régis Le Bris deploys the 4—3—3 formation. Reinildo Mandava is suspended, having been shown the red card in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.