Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United Predictions

• Man Utd have won three consecutive Premier League games
• Forest have lost four league games in a row
• Manchester United have won three of their last five matches at the City Ground

Red Devils to prolong Forest’s agony

Manchester United look likely to prolong Nottingham Forest’s stay in the Premier League relegation zone as the resurgent Red Devils bid for a fourth win in a row on Saturday.

It was looking bleak for Ruben Amorin during the last international break, but wins over Liverpool and Brighton have lifted the mood around Old Trafford. United fans must be pinching themselves at the thought of being above Liverpool and level on points with Manchester City, but that is their reality again.

There is a potential Champions League spot up for grabs if they can keep it going with a win at the City Ground on Saturday.

Dyche now knows the scale of the task

That spot was Forest’s to lose when United last visited the banks of the River Trent as Red Devils old boy Anthony Elanga scored the winner in a 1-0 home win for Nuno Espirito Santo’s then-third placed side last April. But lose it they did as a subsequent run of only two wins and four defeats in their remaining eight league games saw the Tricky Trees finish seventh.

Nuno’s hotseat is now being filled by Sean Dyche, who began life as Forest boss with a Europa League win over Porto before the full scale of his task became apparent at Bournemouth last Sunday.

Matz Sels, one of the best keepers in the Premier League last season, allowed a corner to sail over his head and into the net for the Cherries’ opener and they struggled to mount any form of comeback.It may take time to repair the damaged confidence but Dyche will demand much more fight from his players going forwards.

Visitors carry a greater spark

Talismanic targetman Chris Wood has been nursing an injury and Morgan Gibbs-White looks a shadow of his best self. New striker Igor Jesus is still adjusting to English football and several of the other summer signings have not made a mark at all.

It is hard to see them really hurting Man Utd, who created more and better chances than them the last time they were in Nottingham, albeit that was when they were at their lowest ebb.

But it’s a different story now and with Mateus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes engineering an unexpected 4-2 win over the Seagulls last week, the visitors should carry more of a spark in front of goal.

United were owed a little luck in their Anfield win after receiving a bad call in the Brentford defeat a few weeks before when Nathan Collins should have been sent off at 2-1 down. Forest have failed to score in their last four league games and may struggle to hurt a United side with renewed confidence in their goalkeeper, so a 1-0 away victory could be on the cards.