MANCHESTER UNITED will close out 2023 with a trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest.
Erik ten Hag’s side will be hoping to end the year with a win after their thrilling win over Aston Villa in midweek.
Man United came from two goals down to beat the high-flying Villans in what seemed like a throwback to the days under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Erik ten Hag’s side were buoyed by a brace from Alejandro Garnacho and a first Premier League goal for Rasmus Hojlund.
The win helped the Red Devils back into sixth place in the Premier League.
It was also the first time they scored in four matches in all competitions as United’s attack showed signs of clicking.
It was not the only good news for United this week as it was confirmed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of 25 per cent of the club had gone through.
The British billionaire will take charge of the footballing operations at the club.
Nottingham Forest also put an end to their winless run last time out.
Chris Wood put on a show against his former side Newcastle as he netted a stunning hat-trick to hand Nuno Espirito Santo his first win as manager of the club.
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The East Midland outfit’s victory was its first in 14 matches in all competitions.
The three points have lifted Forest above Everton in the table and put them two points clear of the bottom three.
What is their form like?
Nottingham Forest’s win have put an end to a terrible run of form that saw the team drop down the table.
The poor run ultimately cost Steve Cooper his job and led to the appointment of the former Wolves boss Santo.
United’s win has also relieved some pressure as they had struggled to do anything in the games before.
Before beating Villa, the Red Devils had lost to West Ham, Bournemouth and Bayern Munich.
However, they did pick up a brave point away at Anfield against Liverpool and beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Team news
Forest are still without Taiwo Awoniyi and Serge Aurier, who have groin and calf strains respectively.
Casemiro remains sidelined and Harry Maguire still has a groin issue to work through himself.
Kobbie Mainoo is expected to remain in central midfield with Christian Eriksen.
And Rasmus Hojlund will be hoping to build on scoring his first Premier League goal against Aston Villa.
Who will be the star players?
Ten Hag will be hoping that Garnacho picks up from where he left off against Aston Villa.
The winger was electric as he netted a brace against the Villans to take his tally in the Premier League to three goals.
The Argentine also took on a leading role in the dressing room and he insisted to his team-mates that they could come back from 2-0 down.
For Forest, the key player will likely be Anthony Elange.
The Swede will have a point to prove against United after the club sold him in the summer.
The winger has already proved to be of Premier League quality and has outperformed all of United’s attackers this season.
Elanga has scored four goals and assisted five this season, one of which provided Chris Wood with the equaliser against Newcastle last time out.
What have the managers said?
Erik ten Hag has called on his players to be more consistent following the win over Aston Villa.
He said: “Yeah, but you also have to analyse why.
“And so, we have to so often change the team and you don’t get the routines in.
“We know football is about solid performance, and consistency, and top football.
“But we know we have to make a step there.
“But I’m sure when we have more players often available, and especially in key positions, then we will get a consistent role.”
Speaking after the win against Newcastle, Nuno Espirito Santo has urged his players to maintain their performance standard.
He said: “The credit needs to go to the boys.
“We haven’t been here a long time, but credit to them for their work.
“Congratulations to the players and to our supporters. They were amazing again and they help us so much.
“Let’s enjoy this moment, but let’s not stop here. We know we have to rest now and there is a quick turnaround.”
When is Forest vs Man Utd?
- Forest’s clash with Man Utd will take place on Saturday, December 30.
- The game will kick off at 5.30pm GMT.
- The City Ground will host the fixture.
What channel is it and can it be live streamed?
- Forest vs Man Utd will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
- You can live stream the action from the NOW TV and Sky Go apps, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
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Odds
- Forest – 21/10
- Draw – 5/2
- Man Utd – 6/5
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
