Nottingham Forest will be desperate to get out of the relegation zone when they host a direct rival for survival, as Leeds United come visiting to the City Ground.
Sean Dyche is yet to fully kick-start his reign and show massive signs of taking Nottingham Forest out of the relegation zone, although an opportunity presents itself against Leeds United. Following yet another Premier League weekend without a win, the Tricky Trees are in 19th place, some four points behind the closest team in safety, Burnley.
After a loss to Bournemouth, Forest responded with an improved performance last weekend against Manchester United. Despite going behind the Red Devils, goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicola Savona brought life back into the stadium, although a stunner from Amad Diallo ensured the two teams shared the spoils.
Dyche’s side followed that performance with a drab goalless draw with Sturm Graz in the Europa League, which may have hurt their chances of a top-eight finish. Now, the Nottingham Forest boss will want to see his team take another step in the right direction, but there is a sense of urgency to register their second win of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Leeds United have been solid for a newly promoted side this term compared to all such teams from the last two campaigns. Daniel Farke has done a decent job in that regard, but there will be calls to stitch together a few good results to extend their gap from the relegation zone.
Last weekend, the Whites were thoroughly beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion away from home, and once again, they make the journey, this time to Forest. Farke will have a good chance at the weekend to improve their chances of survival, albeit in the fast-approaching middle period of the season, as they currently have a four-point advantage over Dyche’s side.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Sean Dyche is likely to name a familiar lineup from the last few games, as he continues to miss a few of his key stars. Those include full-back pair Ola Aina and Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the duo unlikely to make the matchday squad.
Hence, the current full-back pair of Nicolo Savona and Neco Williams will continue in their roles, while Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo continue their central defensive partnership. Douglas Luiz is fit to start games, and he will partner Elliot Anderson in the midfield double pivot.
Dan Ndoye, Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi will continue in the attacking setup. Chris Wood is still out, and so far, Dyche has preferred to play with the style that Igor Jesus offers up front.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Luiz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Leeds United
As for Leeds United, Daniel Farke will have defender Jayden Bogle back in action after he was declared fit following an illness. He will play at the back alongside Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, and Gabriel Gudmundsson in the Leeds United backline against Nottingham Forest.
There are doubts over Dominic-Calvert Lewin’s availability, but the striker could prove his fitness and lead the line for Leeds United against Nottingham Forest. Ao Tanaka has been a good presence for the team in midfield, so Farke may have to make a selection decision to choose him or Anton Stach in one of the three positions available.
The other two in the double pivot are likely to be taken by the impressive Sean Longstaff and captain Ethan Ampadu. Noah Okafor and Brenden Aaronson could get starts alongside Calvert-Lewin in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Perri; Bogle, Bijol, Rodon, Gudmundsson; Longstaff, Ampadu, Tanaka; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor
Key Stats
Nottingham Forest have failed to win their last nine matches in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last five games in the Premier League.
Leeds United have won one of their last nine trips to Nottingham Forest.
Leeds United have lost five of their last six away games in the Premier League.
Across his Premier League spells with Norwich City and Leeds United, Daniel Farke has seen his teams fail to score in 32 out of 59 matches (54%), the highest ratio of any manager to take charge of 50+ games in Premier League history. Leeds have drawn a blank in five of 10 games so far in 2025/26.
Player to Watch
Morgan Gibbs-White
Embed from Getty Images
Gibbs-White finally broke his duck for the season in the Premier League with a crucial equaliser against Manchester United last weekend. The wider expectation would be that the attacking midfielder picks up from here on, and the fans will be hoping to see some of it against Leeds United.
Gibbs-White may not have envisaged fighting a relegation battle after the drama surrounding his future in the summer. However, the situation at Nottingham Forest needs resolving, and the fans will certainly want household names like Gibbs-White to play a crucial role in taking the club out of their rut.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Leeds United
Leeds United have been good in patches this season, and this might be another encounter where they might struggle. Daniel Farke has not been able to find a rhythm from his players on the road, and their away form needs drastic improvement.
Nottingham Forest might finally get their second win of the Premier League season, and they could not have asked for a better opponent before an international break. Dyche is slowly implementing his style at the club, and this might be the game that brings him a level of success in the league.