Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest

Molineux Stadium is the venue as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest go head-to-head in a handsomely-looking Premier League fixture.

Wolverhampton’s decision to sack Gary O’Neil and bring in Vitor Pereira could prove a season-defining moment. They’ve since gone unbeaten in all three league games (W2, D1), including a 2-2 draw at Tottenham in their final match of 2024. Back at Molineux, where they defeated Manchester United 2-0 on Boxing Day, they’ll look to maintain an impressive scoring run of 11 consecutive home league fixtures (W3, D1, L7). However, with star forward Matheus Cunha suspended for misconduct in last month’s loss to Ipswich, that could be easier said than done. Wolves can draw confidence from scoring in all five Premier League meetings against Forest since the latter’s promotion in 2022 (W1, D4). But they can’t rest easy, considering a narrow one-point lead on 18th-placed Ipswich.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s incredible Premier League campaign reached new heights at the tail-end of the last calendar year. A 2-0 win at Everton marked their fifth consecutive top-flight triumph for the first time since 1995, moving them within eight points of table-topping Liverpool pre-round. It’s been four decades since Forest last competed for the title in England’s elite division, and any hope of reigniting those flames rests upon winning this meeting. However, Molineux hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Tricky Trees, as they’ve only won one of their last five visits to this stadium (D2, L2). Against this backdrop, they’ve gone from back-to-back away league losses to three successive triumphs, all of which saw them score at least two goals.