Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

A closely-contested battle for Premier League survival is heating up as Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers lock horns in a high-stakes clash at the City Ground.

March’s international break couldn’t have time at a more opportune moment for Nottingham Forest, giving them a fortnight to rally their troops following a dreadful six-game winless streak in the Premier League (D2, L4). Having won their last league match in February, Steven Cooper’s side should consider themselves lucky for commencing this round two points clear of the relegation zone. They’ll be looking to flip the script, and summoning the energy and focus that had helped them go unbeaten in their first five top-flight games of 2023 (W3, D2) could be crucial. But Wolves have been a traditionally tricky opponent to the ‘Tricky Trees,’ as witnessed by Forest’s paltry return of one win from their last eight league H2Hs (D2, L5), including a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture at Molineux.

On the other hand, visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers slumped to a morale-devastating 4-2 home defeat to fellow relegation rivals Leeds United last time out, making it two league losses on the spin. With only three points separating them from 18th-placed West Ham United at the start of this matchday, the ‘Wanderers’ must be desperate to snap a lackluster run of three away league matches without winning (D2, L1). But it looks like Julen Lopetegui’s managerial tenure has drifted off the course, with Wolverhampton losing three of their last four league games (W1), as many defeats as in the Spaniard’s first nine in charge of the West Midlands outfit (W4, D2). On a more positive note, Lopetegui has been responsible for Wolves’ only victories in their last 18 Premier League matches on the road (D5, L11).