Newcastle United are set to face one of the Premier League’s in-form teams today, as they travel to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest. Forest have been one of the standout teams so far this season, sitting comfortably in third place in the league. This will be a tough test for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, who are coming off back-to-back home wins against Chelsea and Arsenal at St James’ Park. Despite these impressive victories, Howe knows that Forest will present a significant challenge, particularly due to their strong defensive record and effective style of play.
Howe spoke highly of Forest’s manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, and the job he has done in building a competitive squad. “Nuno deserves huge credit for the job he has done,” Howe said. “They’ve recruited really well in recent transfer windows and added some really good players to their squad. They have a way of playing that works for them and makes them very tough to play against.” Howe highlighted Forest’s defensive strength, noting that they have been difficult to break down this season, which makes them a challenging opponent for any team. The solidity at the back has also allowed them to be more dangerous going forward, with quick and direct attacks that have been effective in creating scoring opportunities. “You can see from their defensive record this year how strong that is and what a test that is going to pose for us to try and score against them,” Howe explained.
In particular, Howe mentioned two former Newcastle players who have been integral to Forest’s success: Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson. Both players left Newcastle in recent seasons, and Howe reflected on their departures. Regarding Anderson, Howe admitted that the sale of the young midfielder was not something the club wanted to do. “Elliot is a sale we didn’t want to make,” Howe said. “Nobody wanted to make that sale, but we had to. It’s an unusual place because I think that will be happening again, not just here but at other clubs, selling players for financial reasons.” This situation, Howe noted, is becoming more common in modern football due to the financial pressures many clubs face. Despite the difficult decision to sell, Howe emphasized that it was made with the best intentions for both the player and the club.
As for Chris Wood, Howe revealed that the decision to let him go was driven by the need to give the striker regular playing time. “We had obviously Alex Isak, Callum Wilson, and Chris – three experienced strikers that would all want to play and start games,” Howe explained. “Chris felt that he wanted that opportunity to play week in week out, so we reluctantly agreed to that.” Howe added that there were no hard feelings about Wood’s departure, noting that the decision was made with mutual respect. “There was no ill feeling, it was all with each other’s blessing. You have to sell players and trade in the modern environment.”
Looking ahead to today’s game, Howe must decide whether to stick with the starting lineup that secured the win against Arsenal or make a change or two. One player who could return to the starting XI is Sandro Tonali, who was left out last weekend. If Howe opts to keep the same lineup, it would be the first time this season that he has named an unchanged starting team for back-to-back games. The stability in the squad, however, might be key to building momentum.
In goal, Nick Pope is aiming for a third consecutive clean sheet after impressive performances against both Chelsea and Arsenal. Pope has been a key figure for Newcastle this season and will look to continue his strong form at the City Ground. At right-back, Tino Livramento is likely to retain his place after a solid performance against Arsenal, where he successfully dealt with the threat of Gabriel Martinelli. Livramento’s performances have made him the clear first-choice in that position, with Emil Krafth no longer in contention to start.
Defensively, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have been mainstays in the team, playing every minute of Newcastle’s Premier League campaign so far. However, both players are one yellow card away from a suspension, which could complicate things if either player picks up a booking today. Nonetheless, both defenders will be key to Newcastle’s chances of keeping Forest at bay.
As Newcastle head into this game, they will be hoping to continue their positive run of form and maintain their position in the Premier League standings. However, they will need to be at their best to overcome a Forest side that is both resilient defensively and dangerous going forward.
