Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle Predictions

• Forest have won four of their last five Premier League games, scoring 16 times
• The hosts have seen three or more goals in nine of their 11 league wins this term
• Newcastle have lost four of their last five league games, including three 2-1 defeats

Forest could leapfrog Magpies

Nottingham Forest’s 4-0 loss at Aston Villa ended hopes of Europa League success, and now their focus turns back to their fight for Premier League survival.

Vitor Pereira’s side all but secured another top-flight campaign with their win at Chelsea on Monday, which was their third consecutive win in the league.

Given how Forest have burned through managers this season, Pereira will need a strong finish to ensure he sticks around. The club could yet pull away from the relegation battle and move into midtable, with the opportunity to jump above Newcastle this weekend.

More uncertainty for Toon

Newcastle ended a five-game losing streak by beating Brighton last weekend, but their away form is a huge concern ahead of this clash. Any positivity from that victory was also likely sapped away by the news that Bayern Munich are in talks to sign Anthony Gordon, with the Magpies facing another summer dominated by a major departure.

Newcastle have lost nine of their last 14 Premier League away trips, including three of their last four. The Magpies are averaging under a goal per game on their travels, and they could struggle to match Forest’s attacking talents.

Hosts can put on a show

Forest have been involved in a huge number of one-sided games this season. They’ve won 11 and lost 15 of their 35 matches, and just seven of those 26 have been decided by a single goal.

Of late, that’s trended in the right direction for Forest. They’ve scored 16 goals across their last five Premier League games. Nine of their 11 victories this term have featured three or more goals, and they’ve struck at least three times in all of their home victories.

Newcastle have suffered three 2-1 defeats across their last five matches, and there’s potential for them to fall apart against this Forest side. The hosts followed up a 4-1 win over Burnley by thumping Sunderland 5-0, while they put another three goals past Chelsea on Monday.

Forest’s attacking options have been boosted by Chris Wood’s return from injury, with the striker netting in two of his last three starts. The ex-Newcastle striker would certainly lead the line for the Magpies now, despite being cast aside by them a few years ago. He claimed some revenge with a hat-trick at St James’ Park in 2023, and he could add to that against the struggling visitors this weekend.