There are three things certain in life: Death, taxes and Nottingham Forest drawing Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.
Last night saw the Reds pulled out alongside the Magpies once again in the second round of this year’s competition.
The game will take place at the City Ground on the week commencing the 26th August and it’s a pretty drab draw for both teams.
Forest did defeat Newcastle the last time the club were paired with them in the League Cup, running out 3-1 winners in 2018.
The year previous, the two teams met at the same stage again with Forest winning 3-2 at St James’ Park.
Back in 2011, there was also a League Cup meeting but Newcastle did come through that one 4-3 in the end.
This year’s meeting is perhaps a more romantic one for certain players in both dressing rooms and the reaction has started to the draw.
Elliot Anderson reacts as Nottingham Forest draw Newcastle in League Cup
It was an emotional summer for the young Forest utility man as he chose to leave the club he’d been at since he was just a child.
Forest and Newcastle did some financial gymnastics to aid both clubs to meet the PSR threshold and Anderson came to Forest.
Odysseas Vlachodimos signed for Newcastle in the opposite direction – but it’s fair to say Forest got the better end of the deal.
After last night’s draw, Anderson reacted on Instagram to the news and it seems he will be quite happy to get the chance to face his former club.
Anderson posted a wordless reaction, posting a grinning emoji and the chef’s kiss hand gesture alongside it.
The 21-year-old will definitely be hoping to get the nod to feature in this game – even if he might not start for Forest against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Draw is worst case scenario for Forest
It’s Forest who have drawn the short straw here. Newcastle narrowly missed out on European football last season and that made them the top-ranked team in this draw.
Still, Forest are at home and with new signings not really forthcoming for Newcastle this summer, it could be a second string that arrives on Trentside.
Anderson cost Forest £35 million but with Vlachodimos costing around £20 million, it means the Reds essentially got the midfielder for £15 million.
Forest have just Liverpool to play of the big clubs in the first two months of the season when it comes to Premier League football.
As a result, this Newcastle game in the Carabao Cup will at least provide Forest with a bit of a tester in the early stages of the campaign.
For Anderson, it will be a game that he will be desperate to prove a point in.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
