Table of Contents
Manchester United – Nottingham Forest
The Premier League does not take a winter break after the World Cup. The clubs were already active in the cup during the week, now it continues with league action from Christmas. Manchester United want to keep up with the Champions League places and score again in the duel with Nottingham Forest. The game kicks off at 21:00 on Tuesday at Old Trafford in Manchester, with Sky broadcasting live. You can find our prediction in the following Man United vs Nottinham tip.
Man United have bounced back from a disastrous start to the season and currently sit fifth in the Premier League. 26 points from 14 games are a reasonable haul, and the Red Devils also have a game in hand over their direct rivals Newcastle (3rd) and Tottenham (4th). So the gap could shrink further. Nottingham had also climbed a little before the World Cup break and were able to give up the red lantern, meanwhile the Tricky Trees are in 18th place with 13 points.
Man United – Nottingham Info
– Date & Time: 27/12/2022, at 21:00.
– Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
– Competition: Premier League, Matchday 17
– TV coverage: Sky
Man United Form & Balance Check
It’s an exciting period for Manchester. The Red Devils have parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo and are thus finally rid of the media hype surrounding his person, while other players were able to attract positive attention at the World Cup. With Lisandro Martínez, United even have a newly-crowned world champion in their team. Now, coach Erik ten Hag is hoping that his World Cup players will gain additional momentum to continue their good form from before the tournament. Man United had lost only one of their last twelve competitive matches leading up to November.
Successful restart
The test matches in the break were not very successful with two defeats against Cadiz and Betis Sevilla, but there is no reason to worry in view of the numerous absences. In the first match after the World Cup, Man United had to play Burnley last Wednesday. The clash with the leaders of the second English league took place in the EFL Cup, and the Red Devils did not let anything go to waste. World Cup players Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford scored the goals to secure a 2-0 victory.
Man United facts & analysis
– 5th place in the Premier League, 26 points from 14 games.
– Last win in the cup with 2:0 against Burnley
– Only 1 defeat from last 13 competitive matches
Nottingham form & balance check
For Nottingham, the World Cup break came at a rather inopportune time. The promoted side had invested huge sums in the summer in their mission to stay in the league and had made a big splash in the transfer market. However, this newly assembled team had big problems at the start, winning only one of the first eleven games. Then, however, came the sensational 1-0 victory against Liverpool, which became a small spark. Nottingham went on to pick up important points against Brentford and Crystal Palace and also knocked Spurs out of the cup.
Promising cup performance
Now the Tricky Trees are looking to continue their upward form despite the break. In the two upcoming duels with top teams Man United and Chelsea, the promoted side has little to lose. The test matches in the break were not particularly promising, with three defeats and one win, but Nottingham bounced back on Wednesday with a commanding 4-1 cup win at second division Blackburn. Johnson was particularly convincing thanks to a brace, while Lingard and Awoniyi also scored.
Nottingham facts & analysis
– 18th in the Premier League, 13 points from 15 games.
– Last win in the cup with 4:1 against Blackburn
– Only 1 defeat from last 7 competitive matches
Predicted line-up – last update on 24 December 2022
For the most part, we believe in the starting eleven from the recent cup match for both teams. For United in particular, it is an open question which of the World Cup players will be available as early as Tuesday. The two finalists Martinez and Varane will definitely still be missing. Sancho, Dalot, Tuanzebe and possibly Maguire are also out injured. De Gea is likely to return in goal for Dubravka, with Shaw, Antony, Elanga and Fred other alternatives for the starting line-up.
On the other hand, Steve Cooper will definitely have to do without the injured Richards, Biancone, Kouyate and Niakhate. Keeper Henderson is also out as he is not allowed to play against his parent club Manchester United due to a clause. His potential replacement Hennessey, however, is injured and thus just as questionable as Aurier and Gibbs-White. Dennis, Colback and Lodi are other options for the first eleven.
Man United – Nottingham direct comparison & stats
The direct comparison between Man United and Nottingham Forest looks back at 82 games, all from the Premier League. The Red Devils have come out on top with 37 victories, while Nottingham have won 26 duels. 19 other games ended in a draw.
– Manchester United have not lost any of their last 7 home matches.
– Nottingham Forest have not won any of their last 5 duels against Manchester United.
– A look at Manchester United: Marcus Rashford is the top scorer with 4 goals. Taiwo Awoniyi scored 3 times for Nottingham Forest.
– The average number of goals scored in a Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest clash is 5.2.
– The average number of goals scored in the first half in matches between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest is 2.2.
