MY ACCOUNT
– Six of Nottingham Forest’s seven league wins this season have come at home
– Southampton are on a nine-game winless streak
– Recommended bet: Nottingham Forest to win
The clock is ticking for the Premier League clubs engaged in this season’s relegation battle and all eyes will be on a crucial six-pointer between Nottingham Forest and Southampton at the City Ground on Monday night.
It will likely take a miracle to lift Saints out of the relegation zone as they sit six points off safety with four games to go, whereas Forest would move out of the bottom three with a win in this contest.
Both clubs can at least draw hope from the fact Leeds lost to Manchester City on Saturday and victory for either side could alter the complexion of the relegation battle.
Team news
Nottingham Forest have an especially lengthy injury list with Neco Williams, Giulian Biancone, Willy Boly, Chris Wood, Omar Richards, Dean Henderson, Scott McKenna and Jack Colback all unavailable for this match.
Brennan Johnson and Danilo, meanwhile, are fighting to be fit.
As for the Saints, they will be without Juan Larios, Mohammed Salisu, Romain Perraud and Tino Livramento.
The stats
Nottingham Forest have collected 24 of their 30 Premier League points at home this season.
Neither of these sides are in great form right now — Southampton are winless in their last nine fixtures, while Forest have lost four of their last six matches in the league.
But Forest’s only away win in this season’s Premier League came in the reverse fixture with Southampton with Taiwo Awoniyi’s strike giving the Tricky Trees a 1-0 win at St Mary’s back in January.
Prediction
The situation is looking bleak for these sides but both will also sniff an opportunity at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest are definitely vulnerable and their 2-1 defeat to Brentford last time out was particularly gut-wrenching as they had been ahead until two late blunders from Keylor Navas.
But Southampton have also shown an inability to hold onto leads, having led Newcastle 1-0 at half-time last time out before losing 3-1, while last month they led Arsenal 3-1 until the 88th minute, only to concede two late goals and being forced to settle for a draw.
Defensively, the Saints look all over the place and the ongoing absences of Romain Perraud, Mohammed Salisu and Tino Livramento have not helped matters.
Forest are at their strongest on home soil with six of their seven league wins having come at the City Ground and at 23/20 with LiveScore Bet, they are the best bet to win this one.
The potential absences of Brennan Johnson and Danilo would be significant but with Morgan Gibbs-White in the team, Forest still carry an attacking threat and he might tempt some in the anytime goalscorer market at 7/2 with LiveScore Bet.
Forest are at their strongest on home soil with six of their seven league wins having come at the City Ground and they look worth taking a chance on in this one.
Back Nottingham Forest to win at 23/20 with LiveScore Bet.
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