Forest Vs Wolves

This Saturday afternoon, Nottingham Forest's head coach Nuno Espírito Santo will face his former team, Wolverhampton Wanderers, at the City Ground in a Premier League fixture. Last season, the teams drew twice, including an exciting 2-2 encounter at the City Ground in April.

Match Preview

Nottingham Forest’s Recent Form

Nottingham Forest began the new Premier League season with a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth. They secured their first win of the campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Southampton last Saturday, thanks to a second-half goal from Morgan Gibbs-White. Despite this positive result, Forest faced a setback midweek. They were eliminated from the EFL Cup in the second round after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Newcastle United. The match had ended 1-1, with Forest's Jota Silva scoring a spectacular volley to level the game after Newcastle's Joe Willock had given the visitors an early lead.

The penalty shootout proved costly for Forest, as Ibrahim Sangaré and Taiwo Awoniyi missed their spot-kicks, leading to their exit from the competition. Nonetheless, Nuno Espírito Santo has highlighted the positive aspects of his team’s performance against Newcastle and is determined to build on their unbeaten Premier League start. Forest last avoided defeat in their opening three league games in the 1995-96 season when they finished ninth.

Historically, Forest has struggled against Wolves, having won only one of their last 11 league encounters with the Midlands club. The solitary victory came in January 2018 with a 2-0 win at Molineux when both teams were in the Championship.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Recent Form

Wolverhampton Wanderers, under the management of Gary O'Neil, are among the five Premier League teams yet to earn a point this season. They have suffered defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea, with the latter inflicting a heavy 6-2 defeat at Molineux last weekend. In a chaotic first half, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and new signing Jorgen Strand Larsen scored to equalize after goals from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer. However, defensive errors plagued their performance in the second half, leading to a hat-trick from Noni Madueke and a goal from Joao Felix, sealing the Blues’ victory.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Wolves have endured more defeats than any other team not relegated from the Premier League, with 20 losses. They have managed just one win from 19 top-flight matches in August since their promotion in 2019, alongside 8 draws and 10 losses.

Seeking a response to their poor Premier League form, Gary O'Neil made 10 changes for Wolves' EFL Cup second-round tie against Burnley. The tactical adjustments paid off, with Gonçalo Guedes scoring twice in a 2-0 win, securing a third-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Despite their recent struggles, Wolves have a commendable record in their last six away league meetings with Nottingham Forest, having remained unbeaten with three wins and three draws.

As Forest and Wolves prepare to clash at the City Ground, the match promises to be a crucial test for both teams. Nottingham Forest will look to continue their strong start to the season, while Wolverhampton Wanderers will aim to turn their fortunes around and secure their first Premier League points of the campaign.