Sheffield United Vs Nottingham Forest Preview: Likely Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News and Key Statistics

The Premier League’s relegation battle may take another turn when Nottingham Forest visit already-relegated Sheffield United.

The mood at Bramall Lane may have been dimmed after Sheffield United’s relegation was confirmed following a 5-1 loss to Newcastle United. The Blades have had a truly dreadful season on all fronts, and manager Chris Wilder will undoubtedly blame their terrible injury list for their fall from grace. However, Sheffield United might still have a significant impact on the relegation battle when they play Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Furthermore, there is some hope that the Blades will finish higher than their current position at the bottom of the standings. However, if they lose to Forest, that hope will be gone as quickly as it arrives.

Wilder believes that finishing the season strong will be critical to building momentum and improving the atmosphere. However, they must prevent additional humiliation and avoid setting an unfavourable record most goals conceded in a single season, as the Blades now have 97, with Swindon Town’s record of 101 in 42 games in 1993/94 remaining the highest.

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo will want his team to fight with everything on the line in the final games of the season to avoid relegation. The Tricky Trees will look to build on the positives from their most recent defeat to Manchester City and enter the Sheffield United encounter with momentum.

Nottingham Forest were wasteful in front of goal, and Nuno Espirito Santo will want to give Chris Wood a new pair of boots after the golden opportunities he missed against Manchester City. With three games left in the season and Forest only one point ahead of 18th-placed Luton Town, they need a significant win to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

Nottingham Forest are the odds-on favourites to win the match against Sheffield United. However, Forest have been in weird form all season. As a result, Nuno Espirito Santo will not rely on paper projections and will instead expect his players to deliver on the promise of increasing their chances of survival.

Team News & Tactics:

Sheffield United

Sheffield United has had a dreadful season with injuries, with the number already reaching double figures. Only James McAtee has recovered from his injury and may appear in the game in some way.

Rhian Brewster, Oliver McBurnie, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Max Lowe, Chris Basham, John Egan, Daniel Jebbison, George Baldock, and Tom Davies are all out of contention. At the same time, the list remains long.

Oliver Arblaster will be at the heart of the midfield, with Gustavo Hamer and Vinicius Souza on either side. Jayden Bogle and Ben Osborn are the leading candidates for the wing-back positions, while Chris Wilder will remain with Auston Trusty.

The other favoured members of the back three are Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson. Ben Brereton Diaz and Cameron Archer are ideally suited to lead the Blades’ line, and Wilder will be hoping for a great season finale and goals in this home game.

Probable lineup (3-5-2): Foderingham; Robinson, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty; Bogle, Hamer, Arblaster, Souza, Osborn; Brereton Diaz, Archer.

Nottingham Forest

Nuno Espirito Santo will have sorely missed Taiwo Awoniyi in the match against Manchester City, as he watched Chris Wood waste chance after chance and destroy a few beautiful team plays.

The striker will remain on the sidelines, but there is still optimism that he may return before the end of the season. Neco Williams could miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. Following the Manchester City game, Willy Boly, Nicolas Dominguez, and Murillo are in doubts.

It’s unclear whether Nuno Espirito Santo will risk the trio against Sheffield United. If he makes changes, Andrew Omobamidele will replace Murillo, while Moussa Niakhate might take over for Boly. Gonzalo Montiel and Ola Aina will remain in full-back positions, while Danilo and Ryan Yates will play as midfield double pivots.

Wood will have a chance to redeem himself as he continues to lead Nottingham Forest against Sheffield United, with Morgan Gibbs-White likely to play attacking midfield. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi are the options for the wings.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Montiel, Niakhate, Omobamidele, Aina; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

Key Stats

• Sheffield United conceded at least four goals in their previous three Premier League encounters.
• Sheffield United have lost their last four Premier League matches.
• Sheffield United has conceded 97 goals this season.
• Nottingham Forest have won only one of their last 19 Premier League meetings against newly promoted clubs.
• Nottingham Forest are waiting for their first road win in 2024.

Player to Watch

Chris Wood

More than anybody else, Arsenal fans were outraged by Wood’s wasted opportunities against Manchester City, since his goals could have earned Nottingham Forest a point against the Champions. The New Zealand international will get another chance at atonement as he leads the charge against Sheffield United.

The striker has a significant amount of responsibility, especially given Nuno Espirito Santo’s lack of other viable options. As a result, the focus will be on Wood ahead of this game against Sheffield United, as he must demonstrate that he has the tools to assist Forest close the distance away from the relegation battle.

Prediction

Sheffield United: 1–2. Nottingham Forest
Sheffield United have demonstrated some form in recent games against Manchester United and before that. It demonstrated that despite being the inferior team, they can still hurt defenders, which may be the case on Saturday.

Nottingham Forest have a better attacking setup to trouble the Blades, and Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking for clinical performances in the final third. As a result, Forest has a good chance of winning here, and we predict they will win this away game.

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