Champions League football remains the goal for Nottingham Forest this season, with Sunday’s trip to Newcastle United having the potential to blow the race wide open.
Forest lost 2-1 to Fulham last Saturday but held on to their third-place position in the Premier League table, with Manchester City now breathing down the neck of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in fourth.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 26 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 62 | 26 | 36 | 61 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 25 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 51 | 22 | 29 | 53 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 47 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 52 | 35 | 17 | 44 |
| 5 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 44 | 29 | 15 | 43 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 47 | 34 | 13 | 43 |
| 7 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 25 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 42 | 33 | 9 | 41 |
Six points behind Forest are Sunday’s opponents, Newcastle United, who will know that a win against the Reds could close the gap on the Champions League-chasing pack to a point where no comfortable games remain.
Espirito Santo won’t just be feeling cautious because of the Fulham result as Forest actually lost to Newcastle at the City Ground in November, a game in which Anthony Taylor received criticism from Forest fans.
With Eddie Howe being a big fan of Chris Wood, Espirito Santo will be hoping the Kiwi international can provide the necessary boost for the Forest squad to return to winning ways, but we think two more predictions could also come true at St James Park on Sunday.
Chris Wood to haunt St James Park once more
When comparing the side’s prolific strikers, Wood converts more shots than Alexander Isak so it will be interesting to see the two go head to head, but history tells us that Wood won’t leave St James’ Park empty-handed.
Forest’s last trip up to Newcastle came just days after Espirito Santo was appointed Forest boss in December 2023, a match that truly kickstarted the Portuguese coach’s reign at the club thanks to a hattrick from Wood.
Morgan Gibbs-White was amazed by Wood against Newcastle, a feeling that could easily be replicated on Sunday as Wood looks to haunt his former club once more.
Murillo to dominate another elite Premier League striker
The Premier League is stocked full of world-class talent in the striking areas, with Newcastle’s Isak no exception.
However, Murillo has a history of strong performances against top forwards as Murillo was exceptional against Liverpool in January, proving he can hang with the world’s best.
Even Arsenal’s Gabriel hailed Murillo against Liverpool which highlighted how the footballing world is paying close attention to the Brazilian star, who will look to once again step up and control another elite forward to help the Forest squad take home a positive result.
Matz Sels to show what Newcastle are missing
Speaking of the Liverpool game, Arne Slot praised Matz Sels display in earning Forest a draw against the league’s table-topping side.
Slot hasn’t been the only manager to pinpoint the Belgian, as Ange Postecogolou hailed Sels’ display against Tottenham when Forest beat the North London club on Boxing Day.
Boasting ten Premier League clean sheets, Sels has come a long way from his less-than-fruitful spell at Newcastle between 2016 and 2018, in which he only managed 14 appearances for the then-struggling Magpies.
Sels is averaging 3.32 saves per game in the league this season, with another highlight-reel performance potentially on the way for the Belgian shot-stopper at his old stomping ground.
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