David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Nottingham Forest
Leicester
The action in round 36 of the English Premier League continues at the City Ground, where Nottingham Forest will host Leicester. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this clash with strong chances for success.
Match preview
The "Tricky Trees" have noticeably lost momentum at the tail end of the season — Nuno Espírito Santo’s side has slipped to sixth in the table, now sitting outside the Champions League spots by two points. A poor run over the last five rounds has cost them a top-four finish: just one win over Tottenham (2-1), while the other results disappointed the fans — defeats against Aston Villa (1-2), Everton (0-1), Brentford (0-2), and a draw with Crystal Palace (1-1).
What’s especially worrying is that Nottingham have conceded first in four of their last five Premier League matches, forcing them to chase the game. Obvious issues with starting matches and defensive inconsistency are seriously undermining their chances of getting back into the battle for a Champions League spot.
As for Leicester, after finally tasting success in the Premier League with a win over bottom side Southampton (2-0), Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men have seen a slight morale boost. That victory was a breath of fresh air following a dismal 11-match winless run, during which the "Foxes" suffered 10 defeats and managed just one draw.
However, even this win wasn’t enough to lift the Foxes off the second-to-last 19th spot — their best hope is now 18th place. The club’s numbers this season have been disappointing: in their last 21 Premier League matches, they’ve managed just two wins, adding two draws and suffering 17 defeats.
Probable lineups
- Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenković, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolás Domínguez, Ibrahim Sangaré – Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood
- Leicester: Jakub Stolarczyk – Wout Faes, James Justin, Luke Thomas, Conor Coady – Wilfred Ndidi, Jordan Ayew, Oliver Skipp, Bilal El Khannouss, Kasey McAteer – Jamie Vardy
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first round, Nottingham Forest earned a 3-1 away win
- The “Over 2.5 goals” bet has landed in 4 of the last 5 matches
- The “Both teams to score” option has come through in 3 of the last 5 meetings
Prediction
For much of the season, Nottingham Forest were among the Premier League frontrunners, but under mounting pressure, they lost some pace and dropped down the table. Still, the team has an excellent shot at finishing in the Champions League zone. For the hosts, it’s crucial to claim all three points, and they’ll be extremely focused in defence. Our bet: "Both teams to score – No" at odds of 1.77.
