Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland Prediction 27 September 2025
🔊 Can Ange Postecoglou secure his first victory with Nottingham Forest? The stage is set perfectly for a triumph-it's the Australian-Greek's debut at the City Ground. Adding to the intrigue, Premier League newcomers Sunderland will be visiting the 'Tricky Trees'. However, the hosts shouldn't expect an easy ride. The 'Black Cats' sit eight places above their upcoming opponents and are closing in on the top five, boasting an unbeaten streak of three matches. Will the visitors extend their successful run, or will Nottingham finally break their winless spell? We'll assess the odds and other key factors in our editorial prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 These teams will face each other in the English top flight for the first time since 1997. Historically, their head-to-head clashes have been sporadic, as they often found themselves in different leagues. Their last encounter was in the Championship in 2017, and before that, they met in the English League Cup in 2008. Since the 2000s, they have played seven matches against each other, with Sunderland coming out on top in five of those encounters, while Nottingham Forest claimed victory in two. Interestingly, in six of these seven games, the total goals scored did not exceed 2.5.
Head-to-head statistics Nottingham Forest - Sunderland
Nottingham Forest Team Overview
The "Foresters" are undergoing a rebuild right in the middle of the season, and it's proving to be a painful period for the club. Nottingham Forest haven't tasted victory in six matches, although with Ange Postecoglou's arrival after the third round of the Premier League, the team's play seems to be improving. Under the former Tottenham manager, the "Red and Whites" have at least started finding the net-scoring five goals in three games. Notably, they haven't lost their last two outings: against Burnley (1-1) and Real Betis (2-2). Postecoglou's attacking style was particularly evident on Wednesday away against the "Cucumbers." The English side created chances worth 2.81 xG and nearly doubled their opponent's shot count. However, Nottingham's dominance only held through the first half. After the break, they reverted to Nuno Espírito Santo's cautious approach and sat back, ultimately conceding late.
Summer signing Igor Jesus is gradually edging Chris Wood out of the lineup, despite the New Zealander being Nottingham's top scorer in the Premier League not just this season and last, but historically. The young Brazilian has been a standout in two of the last three matches, bagging braces in both. He's been aided by team captain Morgan Gibbs-White, who has provided two assists for Jesus.
Match Results: Nottingham Forest
Sunderland Team Overview
The "Black Cats" have made an impressive return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence. Sunderland have lost just one of their five matches and currently sit seventh, just one point shy of fifth place. Regis Le Bris's side have been particularly strong at home, where they remain unbeaten with two wins and a draw. A particularly emotional match was against Aston Villa-despite playing with a man down for most of the game, the "Red and Blacks" managed to secure a hard-fought draw. It was well-deserved: with only 29% possession, Sunderland outshot their opponents (14 to 12) and had a higher expected goals tally (1.08 to 0.69).
Wilson Isidor has emerged as Sunderland's standout player early in the season, scoring three goals in five Premier League appearances. New summer signing Granit Xhaka has significantly contributed to the Frenchman's productivity, providing two assists and leading the team in assists.
Match Results: Sunderland
Latest news
Nottingham Forest
🎙 The newly appointed captain of Nottingham Forest, who donned the armband for the first time in his career, shared his emotions about the draw with Betis and his expectations for the tournament. "Returning to Europe after 30 years is an incredible feeling, and it was a great honor for me to step onto the field as captain and play in this match. Our goal is to win the competition. I believe it would be wrong to approach it with any other mindset. This is definitely our aim and our motivation-to try to achieve this," stated Morgan Gibbs-White.
❌ Nicolás Domínguez and Ola Aina are set to be sidelined for Nottingham for an extended period-they won't be back until winter at the earliest. Murillo and Douglas Luiz are doubtful for Saturday's clash. The defender has already missed three games, although reports suggested he would return by Matchweek 5 of the Premier League. Luiz was substituted early in the second half after feeling pain in his hamstring area.
Sunderland
🎙 Praise for the “Black Cats” and their head coach is coming not only from fans but also from renowned players of the past. Former Manchester United player and now football pundit Roy Keane commented on Sunderland's form: “The advantage of teams that have been promoted is that they are prepared to play without the ball. They have physically bigger players. They achieve results with less possession. Sunderland are not obsessed with possession. They have big, strong players. This coach has done an excellent job.”
❌ In the team's injury list are Luke O'Nien, Aji Alese, Romain Mundle, Leo Hjelde, and Dennis Cirkin. This list was even longer, but previously injured Daniel Ballard and Enzo Le Fée played against Aston Villa. The latter started the match, while Ballard's appearance was forced-Regis Le Bris needed to bolster the defense after a red card.
🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards
The referee appointed for this match is Tony Harrington. Over his last 20 Premier League games, he has averaged 4.1 yellow cards per match. This season, the Englishman has officiated only two matches in the Premier League, often being assigned to Championship games. Across both competitions, he's overseen four matches with a total of 15 yellow cards (an average of 3.75 per game).
Both teams play relatively clean football-fewer than 3.5 yellow cards have been issued in 4 out of 5 of their league matches. Drawing parallels between the visitors and the main referee, it's worth noting Harrington's record in two Championship games this season-three cautions per match. Harrington understands the style of lower-tier teams well and allows them to play physically. We predict that the two sides will collectively earn fewer than 3.5 yellow cards.
⚽️ Goals Prediction
Nottingham Forest only started scoring three matches ago, but their high defensive line, implemented by the new coach, has caused more issues than benefits so far. Playing this way against Sunderland could be risky, as even with a man down against Aston Villa, Regis Le Bris's side attacked sharply and managed to score. We believe that the instability of the "Tricky Trees" and the organization of the "Black Cats" will result in both teams scoring.
🚩 Corners Prediction
Nottingham Forest are increasingly adopting Ange Postecoglou's style and playing from a position of strength. As seen in their match against Betis, they struggle to maintain this for the full 90 minutes and tend to sit back after halftime. This trend was evident even under their previous manager. It has also been reflected in the number of corners earned by the "Tricky Trees" at the City Ground-fewer than 5.5 in 12 of their last 14 Premier League matches. Our pick: Nottingham Forest total corners under 5.5.
Editorial Prediction
Nottingham Forest's form has been improving with each match, even as the level of their opponents has risen. On Saturday, however, there might be a slight step back, at least compared to Betis. This also applies to Burnley, who, let's not forget, Sunderland lost to away from home. Regis Le Bris's side has struggled on the road, particularly in finding the net-they haven't scored yet. The Foresters have spent a long stretch away, and for Angelos Postecoglou, the upcoming clash will be his debut at City Ground. It's a prime opportunity to make a strong impression on the local crowd, so both the coach and the team are highly motivated to end their poor run of form. We anticipate this will result in a 2-1 victory for Nottingham Forest.
No comments
Betting Tips: Nottingham Forest - Sunderland
in 5 of last 6 home games against Sunderland.
in 6 of last 7 home games.in 5 of last 6 home games (Premier League).in last 5 games (Premier League)..svg)
in 6 of last 7 home games against Sunderland.in last 6 games.in 8 of last 9 games.
Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
