Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle predictions: Tight City Ground clash on the cards

Ian Wilkerson
Spotlight
Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest have won three games in a row in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest have won three games in a row in the Premier League.

- Nottingham Forest have won three league games in a row, conceding just one goal
- Newcastle ended a run of five league games without a win by beating Arsenal 1-0
- Recommended bet:
Under 2.5 goals

Nottingham Forest have made a great start to the Premier League season and head into their clash with Newcastle having won their last three matches against Crystal Palace, Leicester and West Ham.

However, the Magpies will fancy their chances of gaining three points from their trip to the City Ground after a Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea and a 1-0 home success against Arsenal last week.

Team news

James Ward-Prowse is available for Forest after he had to sit out last week’s clash with parent club West Ham, however, Danilo and Ibrahima Sangare remain sidelined.

Newcastle have reported no fresh injury concerns and both Jacob Murphy and Matt Targett could force their way into the squad.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman are still out.

Eddie Howe saw Newcastle end a run of five league games without a win by beating Arsenal 1-0.
Eddie Howe saw Newcastle end a run of five league games without a win by beating Arsenal 1-0.

The stats

Five of Forest’s last seven home league games have featured fewer than three goals, while under 2.5 goals was a winning bet in four of Newcastle’s last five matches.

The Magpies have conceded more than once in just two of their 13 games this season.

Only leaders Liverpool had let in fewer goals than Forest in the Premier League before this weekend.

Striker Chris Wood has scored eight of Forest’s 14 league goals this season.

Before this weekend no Premier league player had committed more fouls than Joelinton’s total of 24.

Prediction

Forest have been the surprise package in the early stages of the Premier League season, but Newcastle could provide Nuno Espirito Santo’s team with a tough test at the City Ground on Sunday.

The East Midlanders have lost just once and are the only team to beat Liverpool in the league this term, but their games have not generally been full of goals.

They have netted more than once in just three of their 10 league games and were aided last time out in their 3-0 home win over West Ham by the fact the Hammers had midfielder Edson Alvarez sent off before half-time.

There is also a heavy reliance on former Magpies striker Chris Wood, who has scored eight of their 14 goals, and they come up against a defence who are almost as miserly as their own.

Newcastle have conceded 10 league goals in as many games – Forest have let in seven – so the visitors should be confident after successive clean sheets against Chelsea and Arsenal.

They will expect to keep the Tricky Trees in check, which makes a glut of goals unlikely on the banks of the Trent.

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Tags

Nottingham ForestNewcastle UnitedPremier League