Nottingham Forest vs Southampton

The top end faces the bottom end as third place Nottingham Forest take on bottom of the league Southampton in the twenty second round of the Premier League. Coming into this game cementing themselves as unbeaten against league leaders Liverpool this season, Nottingham Forest are in a phenomenal position to return to European football for the first time since the 1995-1996 UEFA Cup.

Their opposition for this game does not share the same luxury, as they are on the cusp of retuning back to the Championship after what has been a woeful season for the Saints.

Key Stats

• Southampton Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is ranked second overall for saves per match in the Premier League
• Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions
• Nottingham Forest are ranked second in least goals conceded and have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season

Team Previews, Form and Standout Players

Nottingham Forest are in emphatic form, with seven wins from their last ten Premier League games, the Garibaldis sit comfortably in third with a two-point gap behind second place Arsenal. After a brilliant goalkeeping display from Matz Sels against Liverpool to ensure they took points off the league leaders, the Belgian will be expecting a lot less action as their opposition have only managed thirteen goals from 21 games in their campaign so far.

Ivan Jurić could not have anticipated that Manchester United’s Amad Diallo would be able to conjure up a ten-minute hat trick in the Saints 3-1 to United in their last game. After dominating them in the first half, Southampton were unlucky not to get a result at Old Trafford. Winger Kamaldeen Sulemana was impressive against Manchester United, posing a serious threat down the left wing but the Ghanaian is still waiting for his first Premier League for the Saints.

Nottingham Forest Preview

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Line-Up: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina; Anderson, Yates; Sosa, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood

Nuno Santo and his side have enjoyed an unbelievable season in the Premier League this season. Making a huge statement with a win and draw against Liverpool this season and now sit four points safe in a Champions League spot. With only four losses in the Premier League this season, Nottingham Forest are eager to keep their run of good form going but will need to ensure they take Southampton seriously.

An early Chris wood goal saw the New Zealand forward take his tally of the season to 13 goals, with one more goal equalling his best scoring season in the Premier League. Matz Sels deserves a massive pat on the back for his performance in their last game. His side were dominated by Liverpool but the Belgian kept Forest in the game, making five saves to deny Liverpool the winner.

Southampton Preview

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Predicted Line-Up: Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bree; Walker-Peters, Aribo, Ugochuckwu, Sugawara; Sulemana, Fernandes; Archer

Jurić has received some unwelcome news that there are concerns revolving around youngster Tyler Dibling picking up an ankle injury against Manchester United. The 18-year-old has missed one Premier League for the Saints this season and has provided directness to the attack. Scoring three goals in his last five games across all competitions, the English youngster could be sidelined for a few games. Bringing in Cameron Archer to replace the youngster and starting a goalscoring forward is what could help Jurić’s side cause an upset in this game and take their second win of the season.

With 17 losses from a possible 21 games, Southampton need to be careful as the end of the season is vast approaching, and they are dangerously close to dropping back down to the Championship.

Head to Head Stats

These two teams have only faced each other three times in the Premier League throughout history, and it has been Forest who have come out victorious every single time. Morgan Gibbs-White proved to be the difference maker in the reverse fixture at the St Mary’s Stadium which saw Forest travel back north with a 1-0 win under their belts.

Betting Tips

Forest are on fire, and with their best team all fit to play, Southampton will not be able to cope with the pressure. With the potential of Tyler Biling out, Southampton’s chances grow even slimmer.

For this reason, our betting experts suggest Nottingham Forest to Win is the best value tip for this game. With odds at 2/5, a bet of £10 could see a potential return of up to £14

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction: Nottingham Forest vs Southampton

Nottingham Forest 2-0 Southampton