When Nottingham Forest and Manchester United square off at the City Ground on Saturday, they’ll be looking to build on their victories from this week.Luton Town vs Chelsea at Kenilworth Road on Saturday will mark the start of the second half of the 2023–24 Premier League season. The day’s events will come to a close with Nottingham Forest taking on Manchester United at the City Ground.
Preview and prediction for Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United
Despite having more points than at the same position in the 2022–2023 season, Nottingham Forest fired Steve Cooper last week.Still, Nuno Espirito Santo took over at the City Ground in place of the crowd favorite, and thus far he has managed a convincing victory and a close loss.The outcome on Boxing Day could give City Ground supporters hope for the future.
Manchester United, on the other hand, has dropped over half of their games this season. Erik ten Hag is experiencing the dreaded “second season syndrome,” as his charges have not played consistently. However, following a strong offensive performance on Boxing Day against Aston Villa, there were indications of a turning point. Furthermore, winning a game after behind by two goals can inspire a team. The Dutchman will thus be hoping that holds true for his team.
Bruno Fernandes’ game-winning penalty kick helped Manchester United overcome a two-goal deficit to defeat Nottingham Forest 3-2 in the rematch. In advance of the most recent meeting between the two parties, The Hard Tackle examines the interaction in greater detail.
News & Strategies for the Team
Forest of Nottingham
Ahead of his squad’s most recent match, Nuno Espirito Santo has welcomed a pleasant report on the team news front. The Nottingham Forest manager will be missing four first-team players on Saturday when they play Manchester United.
Willy Boly is free after serving his Boxing Day ban. With the return of the seasoned defender, the only players out with injuries are Taiwo Awoniyi (groin), Ibrahim Sangare (suspension), Felipe (muscle ailment), and Serge Aurier (calf).
Chris Wood will continue to spearhead Nottingham Forest’s offense against Manchester United due to Awaoniyi’s extended absence. Despite this, the striker from New Zealand has cemented himself in his role following his game-winning hat-trick against his old team, Newcastle United.
When Nottingham Forest lines up in front of Matt Turner in a 4-2-3-1 configuration against Manchester United, Turner will start in goal. Boly, who is expected to return, will play in the backline alongside Murillo at the center of the defense. Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo will be the two full-backs.
Orel Mangala and Danilo ought to play together in a defensive-minded double pivot as the midfield unit. The trio of Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi will take care of supplying the creative spark as the two try to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
Turner; Williams, Boly, Murillo, Toffolo; Mangala, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood are the probable lineup (4-2-3-1).
United Manchester
Erik ten Hag’s preparations for the trip to the City Ground are hampered by numerous urgent injury concerns, unlike his counterpart in the Nottingham Forest dugout. On Saturday, the manager of Manchester United will be missing at least nine players from the first team.
The most recent absentee is Luke Shaw, an Englishman recuperating from a muscular ailment. In the treatment room, Shaw goes with Lisandro Martinez (foot), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Harry Maguire (groin), Victor Lindelof (groin), Sofyan Amrabat (muscle injury), Casemiro (thigh), and Mason Mount (calf).
The Dutchman is also worried about Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo’s fitness.Meanwhile, because of his ongoing dispute with the manager, Jadon Sancho is still unavailable.
Andre Onana will play his last Premier League match before leaving with Cameroon to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations. In front of Onana, Manchester United will adopt a 4-2-3-1 configuration, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, and Diogo Dalot forming the backline.
Regarding the midfield, Scott McTominay and Bobbie Mainoo will play together as a double pivot.Bruno Fernandes will return to his customary position as the number ten, while Alejandro Garnacho will carry on in the unusual position that yielded quite remarkable outcomes this week. In the latter third, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund will round up the numbers.
Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot; Mainoo, McTominay; Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund are the likely starters (4-2-3-1).
Important Statistics
Since a 1-1 Premier League draw at the City Ground on November 27, 1995, Manchester United has won 11 straight games against Nottingham Forest across all competitions.
After defeating Southampton and Leicester City in back-to-back games in January, Nottingham Forest Forest is trying to win the Premier League for just the second time since earning promotion last year.
In the last five years, Manchester United has prevailed in their league finale. The last time they lost a year-ending match at Old Trafford was in 2011, when Blackburn Rovers defeated them 3-2. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, prevailed in their last league match of one of the previous nine calendar years and suffered a 3-0 loss against Manchester United to close off 2022.
This might be Manchester United’s first string of four straight top-flight away games without a goal since a similar run in March and April 1989 that ended with a 2-0 loss at the City Ground.
In 19 league games for Nottingham Forest, Anthony Elanga has scored four goals, one more than he did in his 39 Manchester United games.
A Player to Keep an Eye on
Marcus Rashford
Alejandro Garnacho, who was playing in this position for the first time, was a contender for this section after putting on an amazing display from the right wing. Another possibility was Rasmus Hojlund, who broke his duck for Manchester United in domestic football at last.however, we’ve moved forward with Marcus Rashford.
The English international’s stock fell precipitously in the first half of the 2023–24 season, capping a terrible season. However, he displayed glimmers of the play that made him a magical player for Manchester United the previous year. In the upcoming weeks, Rashford will try to build on that since the Red Devils will find their greatest performances again when he is playing well.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-2 Nottingham Forest
To close the season and avoid positions they do not want to be in at the finish, both teams are in desperate need of a victory. There will be a noticeable “new manager bounce” at the City Ground on Saturday, according to Nuno Espirito Santo.
This Saturday, the hosts will make a serious challenge for the Red Devils. But, Manchester United should also field a strong lineup this weekend, led by Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho, who will all contribute to the team’s success. The Hard Tackle believes that Manchester United will defeat Nottingham Forest 2-1 after a close match.
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