Saturday’s Premier League action rounds off at Old Trafford as Manchester United entertain Nottingham Forest in a must-win home fixture.
Both teams slumped to heavy defeats in midweek league action.
Ruben Amorim suffered his first loss in charge of Man Utd, with Arsenal utterly outclassing the Red Devils in Wednesday’s blockbuster at the Emirates Stadium.
Goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba propelled the Gunners to a landslide 2-0 victory, leaving United stuck in the bottom half of the table pre-round.
Understandably frustrated with his side’s underwhelming performance in North London, Amorim admitted that four United stars have a ‘time limit’ via The Sun.
Summer signing Leny Yoro finally made his long-awaited Man Utd debut, and it’s fair to say he lived up to the billing despite the team’s disappointing overall showing.
According to The Independent, the prodigious defender is ‘poised’ for a vital role in Amorim’s backline amid the Portuguese manager’s bid to shore up United’s defensive woes.
Like Man Utd, Forest had a nightmarish midweek experience.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side wasted numerous presentable goalscoring opportunities in a 3-0 defeat at a downtrodden Manchester City, falling four points behind the top-four pace.
Following a remarkable league start, the Tricky Trees’ form has been in freefall, as witnessed by an abysmal run of three losses from their last four outings.
Since all three reverses came against last season’s top-table finishers, Man Utd are in good shape to attract interest from football betting enthusiasts on Betway as they look to bounce back from a midweek fiasco.
Good omens
Wednesday’s heartache in the capital marked Amorim’s first league defeat on the touchline since December 2023, meaning he’ll head into proceedings in unfamiliar territory.
However, there’s plenty of reason for optimism around the Portuguese boss’ camp.
For starters, Man Utd have reigned supreme at Old Trafford since being swept aside by Tottenham Hotspur in late September.
The Red Devils have steadily rebuilt their home fortress, racking up an eye-catching six wins across their last seven competitive outings at the Theatre of Dreams (D1).
It’s also worth noting that they’ve won their last four home matches on the trot, securing an opportunity to make it five in a row during one season for the first time since February 2023.
Back then, Forest fell victim to United’s formidable form in Manchester, slipping to a 2-0 loss.
Ideal opposition
United got the better of the Tricky Trees in this corresponding fixture last term, running out 3-2 victors in a five-goal thriller in August 2023.
That triumph forms part of Man Utd’s remarkable run of seven consecutive home wins against the West Bridgford outfit, dating back to April 1996.
Indeed, you’d need to go back to 1994 for Forest’s last win at Old Trafford.
Moreover, Espirito Santo’s charges have only topped United once across their last 14 encounters in all competitions (D1, L12).
Given how they fared in Manchester earlier this week, it’s only natural to assume the Red Devils should comfortably strengthen that outstanding head-to-head record.
Team News
This showdown will come too soon for Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof.
Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez will return after serving a one-game ban during midweek.
After benching Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Yoro against Arsenal, Amorim could rotate them in on Saturday.
As for Forest, they’ll touch down at Old Trafford without Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo.
Prediction
Man Utd fared reasonably well against Arsenal in open play, but set-pieces were the scourge of Amorim’s team at the Emirates.
Likewise, Forest showed some promising signs at the Etihad Stadium, especially in the front third, only for the final touch to let them down.
However, United should take three points and get their stuttering Premier League campaign back on track.
