Will Nottingham Forest prove they are title conten...

Are Forest the real deal or simply overachievers?

Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool, Tuesday, kick-off 8pm

It was solely 4 months in the past that Nottingham Forest inflicted the one blemish on Arne Slot’s in any other case near-perfect Premier League report. Liverpool have additionally drawn 4 video games, however their solely loss got here at Anfield in September, and the way by which it occurred clearly damage Slot.

He believed – as a newcomer to the league – that Forest, a crew who completed seventeenth final season, shouldn’t be difficult his title-chasers on house turf. Maybe he is proper. The outcome was seen unilaterally as a significant shock and Slot himself known as it “a giant setback”.

A lot has occurred since then to change notion, nonetheless. Slot’s perspective has definitely softened: “For us to lose on that day was, for me, exhausting to take,” he mentioned on Monday. “Now, wanting again and seeing the place they’re within the league, it has not been such a shock.”

Forest have gained every of their final six Premier League video games, whereas a win over Liverpool would equal their longest ever profitable run. They’re presently equal on factors with hotly-tipped Arsenal. And so they have registered extra wins than every other crew besides leaders Liverpool.

Their respective positions within the desk imply this fixture conjures up recollections of the late Nineteen Seventies, early Eighties when Liverpool and Forest had been on the peak of their powers collectively. Clearly Slot’s Reds stay modern-day juggernauts, however Nuno Espirito Santo’s shock contenders are starting to hark again to their golden age.

Forest are this season’s overachievers, sure, however ought to they produce one other upset to dent Liverpool’s cost in the direction of Premier League silverware, they could effectively contemplate themselves formally within the working too.
Laura Hunter

Man City can’t afford another Brentford scare

Brentford vs Man Metropolis, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

“They’re a rare crew. We’ve suffered since they had been promoted,” mentioned Pep Guardiola about Brentford, the final time he got here up towards Thomas Frank’s aspect final September.

He isn’t flawed. Brentford have given Man Metropolis some actual scares in recent times. Frank’s Bees have taken the lead towards Metropolis in 4 out of the final 5 encounters, regardless of Guardiola’s aspect occurring to win the title after every of these matches.

And that was when Metropolis had been good. When Guardiola admitted his crew had been “fortunate” to return again and beat Brentford 3-1 final September, the reigning champions had an 100 per cent report within the Premier League and it was the week earlier than Rodri picked up his season-ending harm.

If Metropolis’s struggles towards Brentford proceed they usually fall behind, do the reigning champions have sufficient to return again?
Sam Blitz

Heavy burden for Ings to carry at West Ham

West Ham vs Fulham, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Graham Potter made the dream begin to life as West Ham boss when Lucas Paqueta put the Hammers in entrance towards Aston Villa within the FA Cup on Friday night time – however the rug was swiftly and ruthlessly pulled from beneath his toes.

Chasing the ball down at full velocity, Niclas Fullkrug pulled up clutching his hamstring and gestured to the bench that his night was over earlier than he had even hit the bottom.

Talking in his post-match press convention, Hammers boss Graham Potter mentioned: “I might think about it is fairly a extreme hamstring harm while you pull up like that, in order that’s a priority for us.” Fullkrug has since posted on Instagram that the harm will “sideline me for some time”.

With each Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio out of motion for the foreseeable future, too, it leaves Danny Ings as the one out-and-out No 9 at Potter’s disposal. Counting on only one man shouldn’t be supreme at the very best of occasions, however when that one man has began simply 4 league video games for the reason that starting of 2023/24, the state of affairs turns into a bit extra stark.

The slate has, in fact, been cleaned with Potter’s arrival – and there may be nonetheless the potential of January signings – however, in the intervening time, Ings has a heavy burden to hold.
Dan Lengthy

Chelsea must turn tide in Champions League hunt

Chelsea vs Bournemouth, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Chelsea’s festive interval turned a promising league run of 9 unbeaten to 4 in a row with out a victory. Their dismal run dripped into their first sport of 2025 after they had been held to a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Chelsea’s type dented their daring title hopes and is at risk of unravelling their aspirations to earn a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.

Three factors separate Chelsea in fourth and Bournemouth in seventh, which means Enzo Maresca’s Blues might drop out of the highest 5 if the Cherries handle a victory at Stamford Bridge.

When Maresca says no person anticipated Chelsea to be competing, there was reality in that. However as type impresses, expectation all through the season begins to alter. Chelsea followers will now anticipate a robust end and it is as much as Maresca’s aspect to ship that, beginning by turning the tide of some poor league outcomes.
William Bitibiri

Derby poorly-timed for misfiring Arsenal

Arsenal vs Tottenham, Wednesday, kick-off 8pm

Additional time and penalties, new accidents and one other confidence-sapping night at an more and more edgy Emirates Stadium. Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United, following defeat to Newcastle within the Carabao Cup, was not supreme preparation for Tottenham’s go to.

Arsenal, already with out Bukayo Saka, are actually more likely to be with out Gabriel Jesus for even longer. Their attacking accidents, with Ethan Nwaneri additionally out, depart them reliant on a struggling Kai Havertz. Jurrien Timber and Jorginho had been additionally compelled off in Sunday’s sport.

Bodily, they had been wanting jaded even earlier than the 2 cup video games, their exhaustion clear of their second-half collapse towards Brighton. With no time for a restorative journey to Dubai this yr, Mikel Arteta should discover a strategy to reinvigorate his gamers on the fly.

It’s a powerful process. How the Arsenal boss would have cherished a transparent schedule this week. As an alternative, he should navigate considered one of their largest video games of the season, one by which something lower than victory will probably be even more durable for the membership’s supporters to tolerate.

After all, Tottenham endured an FA Cup ordeal of their very own on Sunday, needing additional time to beat non-league Tamworth. However the bodily calls for of that sport had been much more modest than Arsenal’s. Ange Postecoglou additionally had the posh of rotating his aspect.

Their current Premier League has been far worse than Arsenal’s, with a solitary level taken from their final 4 video games. However final week’s Carabao Cup win over Liverpool hinted at a nook being turned. They need to make the journey throughout north London sensing a possibility.
Nick Wright

If anything can take Isak up another level…

Newcastle vs Wolves, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Alexander Isak has grow to be an unstoppable power towards Premier League defences and if there may be something which may increase him up one other notch, Newcastle have given it to him.

A relaxation.

Isak began the entire Magpies’ 16 video games previous to Sunday’s FA Cup win over Bromley, the place he wasn’t even within the squad owing to a minor hamstring grievance, however needs to be match to characteristic towards Wolves on Wednesday.

Within the absence of any real competitors with Callum Wilson’s continued harm issues, the onus has been on the Swedish objective machine and he has delivered, with 14 targets throughout that run.

It is the longest run of consecutive membership begins since he moved to Tyneside in 2022. Within the face of necessity he has delivered, which itself was removed from a assure.

This can be a participant who scored solely six targets in his last season at Actual Sociedad earlier than becoming a member of Newcastle. One who was delivered to Borussia Dortmund as the subsequent Zlatan Ibrahimovic however left with out a league strike to his identify.

A troublesome opening marketing campaign at Newcastle was largely hampered by harm however he has not appeared again since. His capacity to carry the ball up, play along with his again to objective, drift broad or play as a standard No 9 was lacking only one factor – the arrogance any prime striker wants.

With that, is there a greater out-and-out striker in world soccer proper now? His 9 targets for the reason that starting of December prime the Premier League charts, and with a full week between matches for the primary time since mid-October, Wolves had higher have their wits about them.
Ron Walker

Can Moyes’ return get Everton firing?

Everton vs Aston Villa, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

David Moyes’ first spell in control of Everton started with a objective after 30 seconds by David Unsworth as they clinched a 2-1 win over Fulham regardless of a first-half red-card to Thomas Gravesen. It sparked a run of three wins from 4 video games which lifted them to security.

13 years on, how they’d love a repeat. Moyes, now 61, as soon as once more inherits a crew in want of a saviour. They’re with out a win in 5 video games and a degree above the drop zone.

His first problem is to get them scoring. Everton laboured to a 2-0 win over Peterborough within the FA Cup below the interim cost of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines on Thursday however they’ve solely discovered the web as soon as in 5 video games within the Premier League. Solely bottom-side Southampton have scored fewer targets this season.

The numbers make grim studying. Everton are even decrease than Southampton when it comes to anticipated targets, underlying simply how blunt they’ve been below Sean Dyche. However the hope for supporters is that the return of Moyes offers an instantaneous confidence increase to those that have struggled so badly in entrance of objective.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa make for a tricky opponent however they’ve clear weaknesses defensively and head to what’s more likely to be a revitalised Goodison Park having misplaced their final 5 Premier League away video games, conceded a mixed 14 targets within the course of.
Nick Wright

Welcome signs for Leicester

Leicester vs Crystal Palace, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Ruud van Nistelrooy admitted the Premier League is the precedence for Leicester this season – however the emphatic win towards QPR within the FA Cup was precisely what they wanted heading into the sport towards Crystal Palace.

A run of 5 losses on the bounce had shortly soured the preliminary optimism Van Nistelrooy’s arrival had offered till a 6-2 win towards the Hoops fired them into the fourth spherical.

Other than snapping the shedding streak, it’s the method of the victory that can please Leicester followers most.

Wasteful ending performed a significant function in seeing the membership stroll away from promising performances towards Manchester Metropolis and Aston Villa with zero factors – so watching targets flood in from all angles would have been a welcome signal for Van Nistelrooy and his squad.

Carrying this kind over into the league is now crucial to their season and survival probabilities. Beginning with Palace.
Patrick Rowe

Saints clash a test of Man Utd’s mettle

Man Utd vs Southampton, Thursday, kick-off 8pm

Amidst the entire FA Cup third-round euphoria, layered on prime of a spirited show at Anfield, it is easy to overlook that Manchester United are with out a win of their final six. Since their final victory, a 2-1 comeback win at Manchester Metropolis, United have misplaced 4 and drawn twice.

The final two outings confirmed a distinct aspect to United, a brand new one. There was a aspect to the crew Ruben Amorim hoped for since taking cost however has been compelled to attend for. United have risen to the problem at Anfield and the Emirates in showings of nice psychological fortitude however the true problem for Amorim’s males is whether or not they can keep their stage towards a few of the so-called ‘lesser sides’.

There isn’t any higher take a look at of United’s resolve in the mean time than a house conflict towards the aspect all-time low of the Premier League. Ought to they win convincingly, we are able to start to take this supposed new leaf significantly.
William Bitibiri

Can Brighton spark into winning Premier League form?

Ipswich vs Brighton, Thursday, 7.30pm

After simply three defeats in 15 video games in all competitions initially of the season, Brighton went eight video games with out victory via the festive interval – though nonetheless with simply two losses.

However for a membership with aspirations of European soccer, persistently drawing will not get them there. Their 10 attracts this season are essentially the most within the Premier League.

Nonetheless, the Seagulls will probably be hoping a 4-0 win towards Norwich within the FA Cup will give them the increase they should begin selecting up factors within the league. One of many brightest moments from the third-round tie was Solly March’s fantastic objective, scored after a prolonged harm lay-off.

It is one other journey to East Anglia on Tuesday night as they tackle Ipswich – a crew solely within the relegation zone on objective distinction and enhancing with every Premier League sport. The Tractor Boys too had been victorious of their FA Cup outing on the weekend, and are actually three video games unbeaten.

It is not going to be a straightforward night for both aspect and each will really feel they will take most factors. They want them for various causes, however equally as essential.
Charlotte Marsh

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