Forest vs Sheffield United predictions: Trees can run rings around Blades
- Forest lost only five home games in the Premier League last season
- Sheffield United mustered just one effort on target in their 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace
- Recommended bet: Nottingham Forest win and Over 1.5 goals
Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United clash at the City Ground looking to get points on the board following narrow defeats on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Forest will be upbeat back on home soil, where they lost only five times in the league last season – even Tottenham lost more home matches.
But only Burnley had more away wins than United in the 2022-23 Championship.
Team news
Felipe is still missing for Forest with a knee injury while Moussa Niakhate returns to contention after recovering from an elbow fracture.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Anthony Elanga will hope to make starts after combining off the bench for Forest's goal in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Jayden Bogle, Rhian Brewster, Ismaila Coulibaly and John Fleck are all missing for United.
Last year's 13-goal striker Oli McBurnie is fit while new signing Vinicius Souza is hoping to start after being a sub against Crystal Palace.
The stats
Forest have found the net in each of their last eight top-flight encounters.
United's last four Premier League matches have all ended in 1-0 scorelines, two they have won, two they have lost.
Forest had a league-low six shots during last week's opening round of games. The Blades themselves fired off only two more at home to Palace, registering only one effort on target.
Prediction
Steve Cooper will be encouraged by the manner in which his side fought back in a narrow defeat at Arsenal last weekend and can use that as a springboard to a first three-point haul of the campaign.
Forest's fate this season will not be decided by games against the Gunners, but how they do against the likes of newly-promoted United will absolutely be a factor in where they finish up.
Conversely, this type of game is afforded identical importance in the Blades' camp, one frustrated at their non-start at home to Crystal Palace.
That was an opportunity for Paul Heckingbottom's men to get on the board against an Eagles' team shorn of Wilfried Zaha and with Michael Olise injured, yet the South Yorkshireman fired off just one shot on target.
That has to be a concern for their followers while Forest, back on home territory where they impressed often last season, will be licking their lips at this prospect.
There was much to like about Forest going forward as the game went on at the Emirates and the pacy threats carried by the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson, Elanga and Awoniyi should be a genuine source of concern for the visitors.
Forest beat Liverpool and Arsenal at home last season, drew with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City and only failed to find the net against Spurs and Manchester United. They should be more than capable of seeing off Friday's opponents.
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