Nottingham Forest are on a run of three defeats in four Premier League games as the business end of the season quickly approaches.
All of those defeats have come away from the City Ground with Bournemouth, Fulham and Newcastle coming out on top against the Reds in recent weeks.
In the midst of those games, Forest did beat Brighton 7-0 on home soil. Now, the Reds will be looking for similar comforts when they face Arsenal and Manchester City in the coming weeks.
A couple of VAR calls went against Forest on Sunday against Newcastle. However, when you concede four goals in 11 minutes, it’s tricky to vent any real frustration anywhere other than at your own team.
Andy Madley has been appointed the referee for tomorrow’s clash with Arsenal. It promises to be an exciting game on Trentside and the fans will definitely be bringing the noise.
Chris Sutton predicts where Nottingham Forest will finish this season
It’s that time of the year when pundits are starting to suggest how they think the final Premier League table will look after each team has played 38 times.
The Reds are still in the mix for a Champions League place but it’s fair to say that the walls are closing in around them in that sense and a big win is needed from somewhere.
Sutton has told anyone and everyone this season that he used to support Forest as a kid and ultimately, it seems he’s on the bandwagon somewhat.
He is, however, predicting a top-five finish for the Reds which appears will be enough to secure Champions League football during the 2025/26 campaign.
He told the Monday Night Club: “I think the guys have been very vague but I will tell you how this is going to finish.
“Manchester City will be in third, with 68 points, Nottingham Forest, my Nottingham Forest, I’ve got them in fourth on 68 points as well.
“Manchester City will score more than Forest and will have a better goal difference so they will finish third.”
Forest will be hoping for big effort to secure European football
From a fan perspective, hearing that Champions League music at the City Ground would be incredible but it won’t define the campaign after two seasons of struggle.
Securing no European football at this stage would represent a massive drop-off in form and hopefully, that can be arrested in the coming weeks with some big performances.
If Nuno Espirito Santo can take Forest into Europe that would represent a huge success – even if it was the less glamourous competition that is the Europa Conference League.
It’s been a brilliant season so far and it’s great not to be fighting relegation again.
However, the team must regroup on the back of this poor run and try to pick up as many points as possible before the two-week break at the end of March.
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