Nuno Espirito Santo aims sly dig at the Premier League for Newcastle vs Chelsea issue

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Nottingham Forest fans will be constantly checking on the scores of their Champions League rivals in the coming weeks, with Newcastle United playing Chelsea on Sunday one to look out for.

For Nuno Espirito Santo, though, the focus must remain internally within the group, as results elsewhere won’t matter if Forest can’t hold up their end of the bargain in the top-five race.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
4	NewcastleNewcastle	35	19	6	10	66	45	21	63
5	ChelseaChelsea	35	18	9	8	62	41	21	63
6	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	35	18	7	10	54	42	12	61
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	35	17	9	9	55	49	6	60
8	B’mouthBournemouth	35	14	11	10	55	42	13	53

Roy Keane had doubts over predicting Forest to beat Leicester, which highlights just how intense the final weeks will be, even if a fixture looks to be straightforward on paper.

Nothing about Sunday will be straightforward as Forest look to close the gap on Chelsea and Newcastle, whose noon game could overlap with Forest’s, causing a distraction for Espirito Santo to deal with.

Nuno Espirito Santo addresses Newcastle vs Chelsea distraction

Back at the City Ground, Espirito Santo already has enough problems as Murillo fights to be fit to face Leicester. The conclusion of their rival’s game overlapping with his side’s preparation could also be an issue, something the Forest manager addressed in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

He said: The timing [of Newcastle vs Chelsea] is going to upset our warm-up because the players are going to be on the TV looking at the game for sure. […] It’s impossible [to avoid], with phones and TVs, it’s better to see. It doesn’t matter, we can’t control it. It’s about us now.”

The way the Premier League TV deal works in the modern era, it’s rare that many fixtures are played simultaneously, so the distraction of seeing other teams’ results is an ever-present issue.

Of course, it could have a motivating effect to know in advance what you must do in a game, but Espirito Santo would obviously prefer to keep the outside noise away from the City Ground on Sunday.

In the buildup, though, it’s certainly worth analysing the permutations surrounding the clash in the North East, given that Forest’s Champions League chances have taken a hit recently.

Would Forest prefer Newcastle or Chelsea to win on Sunday

Michael Dawson backs Forest for Champions League qualification, even if it’s starting to look more difficult, mainly down to the remaining fixtures for both Newcastle and Chelsea.

Of course, both can’t claim maximum points due to playing each other, which works in Forest’s favour. The aim for Espirito Santo’s side, then, is to see the race reach the final day of the season.

To create this Champions League shoot-out against Chelsea on the final day, it makes sense for Forest to want Newcastle to come out victorious on Sunday, giving the Reds the chance to leapfrog Chelsea in the table.

This would ensure that even if the Forest squad then lost to West Ham, they would still be in with a chance come the final day.