Category: Nottingham forest

The weekend’s action at the City Ground begins on Saturday lunchtime when Nottingham Forest hosts Brighton in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest will be looking to get back to winning ways in the weekend’s opening Premier League clash after their nine match unbeaten run, which included eight wins, came to a dramatic end last weekend with a 5-0 thrashing by Bournemouth on the south coast.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will be looking for a rapid recovery this weekend as they look to maintain their charge for an unlikely Champions League position, currently sat as high as third in the Premier League having finished last season in 17th place.

Forest have won five of their last six matches at the City Ground, the only dropping of points in that run coming against runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool and will be looking to continue that winning run

Saturday lunchtime sees them take on a Brighton side who have just seen a long unbeaten run of their own come to an end, a surprise 1-0 home defeat by David Moyes’ Everton last weekend being their only loss in their last eight games.

Despite the defeat though, Fabian Hurzeler’s side have still won three of their last four matches, and are unbeaten in their last six games away from home, winning each of their last three, currently leaving them ninth in the Premier League table.

Two contrasting styles of play will come to blows at the City Ground on Saturday as Forest’s immense home record comes up against the Seagulls’ strong away form. I back Forest to respond from their shock defeat last weekend.

 

As Nottingham Forest attempts to complete their January window business, deadline day is growing huge. The Reds have until 11 p.m.

on Monday, February 3, to finalize deals, and the next four days should be exciting.

Keeping an eye on the proper incomings and outgoings is especially important because Nuno Espirito Santo’s team is in a strong position in the Premier League standings.

Forest hasn’t added any new players yet, with the exception of signing goalie Wayne Hennessey to a temporary deal.

Defender Andrew Omobamidele, who signed a loan deal to Strasbourg last week, is the lone notable departure going in the other direction.

Despite their best attempts, Forest was unable to close a striker deal in the summer. This time, they have a few days to increase their firepower.

The Reds have been connected to a number of names, and Brentford forward Wissa is one of them.

They are expected to make another attempt after their previous bid, which was reportedly in the range of £18–22 million, was rejected.

 

 

According to English reports, Forest may make a second offer despite their £18–22 million approach being rejected.

Journalist Lee-Roy Kabeya shared the video on X after the footballer was questioned about the issue on Canal+ South Africa.

The translation of Wissa’s response is: “There is an interest, there is an interest.I am unable to say whether transfers are possible at this time.

However, starting this summer, there has been interest.

They’re having a fantastic season, and I’m keeping up my pace. Yes, I am currently concentrating on Brentford, but we’ll see what transpires.

 

Bournemouth’s head coach, Andoni Iraola, has encouraged Cherries fans to enjoy the thrilling ride as his team continues to leave their mark on Premier League history with an outstanding winning streak.

Bournemouth’s incredible run has now reached 11 games after a decisive 5-0 victory over, raising excitement among supporters about possible European qualifying. Iraola, on the other hand, has continuously kept the discussion focused on one game at a time, avoiding future goals.

“The most important thing is to enjoy the game,” Iraola said firmly. “Take pride in our performance against Newcastle and our prior meeting at Stamford Bridge.

Let’s have fun today.Even while it’s tempting to look at the standings, doing so won’t benefit us in any real way.

 

According to sources in Brazil, Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has named the City Ground and the Etihad Stadium as two of his preferred destinations.

Even though Manchester City has already spent more than £130 million during the January transfer window, they are still actively looking to add players to Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup.

The manager of Manchester City has previously maintained that the team has merely proceeded with their intentions to rebuild their first-team roster, choosing not to make significant investments to update their alternatives during the most recent transfer window.

As a result, Txiki Begiristain and his recruitment partners moved quickly to add Omar Marmoush to their forward line and Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis to the middle defensive ranks.

However, Manchester City supporters have been clamoring for action in the defensive midfield position as Rodri is still a ways off from playing again after suffering a double-knee injury and there are still issues on the field in competitive games.

According to Sport Witness’s translation and relay, Pep Guardiola’s team wants the Brazil international on a simple loan deal with no buyout clause, while the Turin-based team wants a sale or loan with a buyout clause. Although the article makes no mention of a transfer fee, it is said that Nottingham Forest, the team led by Nuno Espírito Santo, is “willing to make a large investment” to sign the midfield player. It is currently unclear if Manchester City and Juventus can reach an agreement over the midfield player and if City thinks their former player is deserving of the possible future investment.

Rodri, Pep Guardiola’s go-to defensive midfielder, is not anticipated to make”Every position is crucial for effective play, and for a variety of reasons, we must substitute two players who are not suitable holding midfielders for Rodri this time around.

However, we’ll see what needs to be done later.

 

Nottingham Forest are going to be looking at lots of different players ahead of the transfer window slamming shut on Monday night.

 

A striker does feel like the order of the day for Forest. The Reds are keen to get some more options in the final third and plenty of names have already been mooted.

 

Matheus Cunha is the number one Forest target. However, with his value thought to be around £70 million, that deal does feel like a complex one to get over the line before Monday’s cut-off.

 

It would appear that the Reds are leaving no stone unturned for this transfer window. With that in mind, a new link has emerged and it’s something of a surprise one.

 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Besiktas during the Turkish Super League match between Besiktas and Fenerbahce at Besiktas Park on December 7, 2024 in I…

 

According to reports in Turkey from O Medyem, Oxlade-Chamberlain is starting to attract interest from several Premier League clubs ahead of the deadline.

 

Forest are thought to be one of those, with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Wolves and West Ham as the clubs mentioned in the latest article on the winger’s future.

 

Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently playing in Turkey with Besiktas. However, he’s slipped down the pecking order with his current club and has made six appearances during 2024/25, scoring a single goal.

 

 

The 31-year-old has bags of experience in the Premier League having spent time with Southampton, Arsenal and Liverpool. Oxlade-Chamberlian has 235 top-flight appearances to his name and has registered 44 goal contributions.

 

The 20 goals that he’s scored in the Premier League eclipses the 15 that Callum Hudson-Odoi has managed throughout his career. Right now, the Forest man is injured and perhaps Oxlade-Chamberlain on a short-term deal is being eyed.

 

Oxlade-Chamberlain unlikely to come to Forest

This would feel like a strange one from a Forest perspective. Oxlade-Chamberlain struggled with injury issues during his time in England and that makes his signing very risky.

 

At 31, he’s hardly a long-term option and although he’s a vastly experienced player, this would have the feeling of being something of a backwards step for Forest.

 

The club worked hard in the transfer market to change the media perception in the summer. In fact, the last two summer windows have been largely positive and Forest won’t want to undo their hard work.

 

As a result, this feels like a bit of a lazy media link. Turkish reports always need taking with a pinch of salt but we can’t see Champions League winner Oxlade-Chamberlain heading to the City Ground this month.

When Nottingham Forest hosts Brighton at the City Ground on Saturday, they will be hoping to rekindle their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Nuno Espirito Santo acknowledged that Nottingham Forest’s crushing 5-0 loss to Bournemouth served as a stark reminder of how hard it is to place in the top four this year.

Dango Ouattara’s hat-trick helped lead the Cherries to victory, ending Forest’s eight-game unbeaten Premier League streak with a whimper at the Vitality Stadium.

Forest really experienced their heaviest loss in the competition since a 5-0 thumping at Fulham in December 2023, and they have now given up three or more goals in each of their previous four top-flight losses (a total of 14 goals).

Nuno’s team is still in the Champions League spots, but their chances of qualifying for Europe are now in jeopardy due to victories by Manchester City and Newcastle United last time out.

It must serve as a warning to all of us—the players, the fans, and the coaching staff. Understanding our methods, we can’t give up on certain gaming elements.”

Brighton lost to Everton 1-0 at the Amex Stadium last time out as well, with Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty in the first half making the difference.

Fabian Hurzeler has hinted that the Seagulls may be making reinforcements in the January transfer window to increase their prospects of qualifying for Europe next season, as they currently rank ninth in the Premier League standings.

While striker Evan Ferguson has been linked to a move, Brighton has reportedly made many unsuccessful bids for Derby County defender Eiran Cashin.

Nottingham Forest used 33 players in 38 Premier League games last season, more than any other team in the league.

Under two different managers, it was a period of fight to avoid relegation, and that statistic illustrates the sense of disarray that occasionally loomed over Forest.

In their first season following their return to the top level, 2022–2023—another fight against relegation—they also utilized the most players of any Premier League team, again with 33.

With just 23 games played so far this season, Forest has employed the fewest players of any team in the division, according to head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.

The unity and solidarity Nuno and his squad have helped to foster in the 13 months since he succeeded Steve Cooper is also indicated by that number.

After their 5-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday, it would be easy to overreact and risk shattering that unity, believing that a significant reaction is required to a spectacular setback. particularly during this season.

At Forest, that has before occurred. They lost to Preston North End 3-0 at home in the second-tier Championship on January 30, 2018, dropping them to 15th place in the 24-team standings. Their newly hired manager, Aitor Karanka, called the match the “worst moment” of his career.

With the arrival of Costel Pantilimon, Jack Colback, Adlene Guedioura, Ashkan Dejagah, Joe Lolley, and Lee Tomlin, as well as the nearly finalized agreement for free agent Ben Watson (who joined the following week), Forest essentially made seven new additions the following day, which also happened to be the deadline day for that season’s winter window.

 

On Saturday at 7:30 AM ET, Nottingham Forest (third) and Brighton & Hove Albion (ninth) will square off at City Ground. Watch the game live on Fubo.

Nottingham Forest lost to AFC Bournemouth 5-0 on the road last time out, despite taking 17 shots and outshooting Bournemouth by three.

Brighton’s most recent match was a 1-0 loss to Everton FC at home on January 25. Brighton beat Everton FC by a score of 17 to 3.

 

Bournemouth’s ability to control the midfield has been essential to their remarkable 11-game winning streak.

Despite receiving more and more notice for their performances, midfielders Ryan Christie and Tyler Adams are still not well-known in the Premier League.

Adams demonstrated why he is a vital member of the Cherries during Bournemouth’s decisive 5-0 victory over the weekend.

Christie also attracted attention the week before with a spectacular performance at St. James’ Park, where he was instrumental in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle and received Monday Night Football feature coverage.

Both players are excellent at the elements of the game that are sometimes disregarded; they compete furiously for every loose ball, disrupt play, challenge opponents, and exhibit unwavering enthusiasm.

Adams has topped the Premier League in tackles won (3.4) and interceptions (2.7) per ninety minutes since he returned from injury in October.

In addition, he has recently expanded his skill set by contributing three assists in just two games, including two against Forest.

In a same vein, Christie has consistently supported the Cherries.

He has played in every game since the October internationals, with the exception of one loss at — making sure the team has been playing well during this time.

The midfield group, which now includes Alex Scott and Lewis Cook, is undoubtedly among the strongest in the league.

Cook has maintained his impressive play and prompted discussions of a possible call-up despite playing out of position as a right-back due to injury.

Scott, who contributed significantly in the early going of the season prior to his injury, was also instrumental in Bournemouth’s strong start.

To the question of whether he thought his midfield five was quietly making a name for itself among the best, Iraola said, “It’s hard to draw parallels.

It is reasonable for other managers to defend their midfield players. The competition is fierce, and consistency is crucial, even if I’m sure ours are doing remarkably well.”