Nottingham Forest welcome Sunderland to the City Ground this weekend in the Premier League, with both clubs eyeing a crucial result.
For Forest, the turnaround is quick. Ange Postecoglou’s men are back in league action only days after their demanding Europa League draw against Real Betis, a match in which many felt they deserved more than a point.
Their visitors are no ordinary newcomers. Sunderland may have only just returned to the top flight, but their summer transfer business was bold. Over £150m was spent to secure the likes of Granit Xhaka and Habib Diarra, and that investment has already lifted them to seventh in the standings.
Paul Merson’s take
Pundit Paul Merson, writing in his Sportskeeda column, believes Forest’s European performance showed their quality.
“Forest were very unlucky against Betis—they could easily have won. The question now is whether that late equaliser will leave a mark going into the weekend,” he explained.
Merson also noted that Sunderland might borrow a page from West Ham’s book. The Hammers frustrated Forest in their last home match, absorbing pressure before striking late with three goals. He expects the Black Cats to attempt something similar.
Igor Jesus has been a standout for Postecoglou, scoring four times in his last three outings. While Merson acknowledges his form, he suggested Chris Wood could be the better option for this fixture given his physical presence up front.
Still, Merson is leaning towards Forest. “Sunderland are dangerous and capable of surprises, but I think home advantage swings it,” he said, tipping a narrow 1-0 win for the hosts.
Head-to-head record
The two clubs haven’t faced off since the 2017/18 Championship season, when they traded 1-0 wins. Sunderland came out on top in the last meeting, but Forest snatched the reverse fixture through a late Daryl Murphy strike.
Overall, Forest’s record against Sunderland has been poor, with four defeats in their past five encounters. Even so, with the backing of the City Ground, they’ll be considered favourites this time around.