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Nottingham Forest vs Southampton odds and betting statistics
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Nottingham Forest vs Southampton recommended bets
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Nottingham Forest vs Southampton match preview
Two of the Premier League’s bottom three go head-to-head in this huge Bank Holiday Monday clash.
Southampton are enjoying an 11th successive season in the top-flight, but that is surely about to come to an end.
Last Sunday, despite taking the lead through Stuart Armstrong, Rubén Sellés’ team were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle at St James’ Park.
This means the Saints are now winless in nine matches, so remain rock bottom of the table, six points from safety.
In fact, Southampton’s relegation back to the Championship could be confirmed by the end of this week.
Nottingham Forest too kick off in the bottom three, but are still very much in the fight to beat the drop.
Forest then looked set for another win last weekend, leading 1-0 at Brentford courtesy of Danilo’s scrappy goal.
But, this time, they were on the wrong end of a come from behind victory, beaten 2-1, with the Bees’ scoring twice in the final five minutes, with the winner coming deep into stoppage time.
So, having yielding just six points from their last 13 outings, Steve Cooper’s men are 18th, albeit only below Leicester and Leeds on goal difference.
After this, Forest’s remaining fixtures are Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H) and Crystal Palace (H), emphasising just how crucial a win here would be.
The Reds have won just once on the road all season, this a 1-0 victory over Nathan Jones’ Southampton in January.
So, can Nottingham Forest complete a first top-flight double over Southampton since 1995/96, thereby climbing out of the relegation zone at the City Ground?
Nottingham Forest team news
After scoring, Danilo hobbled off towards the end of last weekend’s defeat at Brentford, leaving his team down to ten men, as they’d used up all their substitution windows.
In his absence, Cheikhou Kouyaté or Remo Freuler will come in to partner Orel Mangala in midfield.
Other players out injured include Neco Williams, Scott McKenna, Willy Boly, Giulian Biancone and Chris Wood.
Meantime, Jonjo Shelvey won’t feature, following a bust-up with Steve Cooper at Anfield, while Gustavo Scarpa is back in Brazil fighting a cryptocurrency scam; thank goodness they have so many players!
The front three, Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi, have scored 53.3% of Forest’s league goals this season, with the latter the match-winner at St Mary’s in the reverse fixture.
Predicted XI (5-3-2): Navas; Aurier, Felipe, Worrall, Niakhaté, Lodi; Mangala, Kouyaté, Gibbs-White; Johnson, Awoniyi.
Southampton team news
Rubén Sellés heavily changes his starting XI pretty much every game, but is yet to regularly find that winning formulae.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles gifted Newcastle third third goal last weekend, so Lyanco could keep his place at right-back.
Gavin Bazunu had played every minute in the Premier League this season before being dropped two games ago, with Alex McCarthy back in from the wilderness.
Ché Adams is fit again so could lead the line, chosen over Adam Armstrong, Sékou Mara or Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Predicted XI (4-2-2-2): McCarthy; Lyanco, Bella-Kotchap, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Walcott, S Armstrong; Adams, Alcaraz.
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