Premier League: Red Devils Have a Score to Settle With the Tricky Trees

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest

Manchester United only need one more point to secure third place, but they’re up for a tricky Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday at Old Trafford. The Red Devils haven’t beaten the Tricky Trees for a while, so they have a score to settle against them.

Michael Carrick has essentially secured a permanent head coaching job after what he has accomplished with the Red Devils this season. Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four league games, although they’re fresh from a goalless draw against Sunderland last weekend.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have steered clear of the relegation zone. Vitor Pereira’s side is unbeaten in their last eight league matches (W4, D4). And since they’re out of the Europa League, having lost to Aston Villa in the semi-finals, the Tricky Trees can turn their full focus on finishing strong. At the time of writing, they are 16th in the English top-flight standings with 43 points.

 

Talking Points

Casemiro and Sesko return for Manchester United

Manchester United’s goalless draw with Sunderland last time out ended their incredible 23-game scoring streak in the Premier League, as they were without two of their top scorers. Benjamin Sesko and Casemiro, having combined for 20 goals this season, were deemed unfit, and their replacements, Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, failed to impress.

Sesko and Casemiro reportedly picked up a knock against Liverpool, and head coach Michael Carrick sat them out for precautionary purposes. The duo will likely return for the Nottingham Forest game, while Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt will surely sit this one out due to their back injuries.

Casemiro is in the final few weeks of his celebrated Manchester United stint, and the Brazilian midfielder plans to make it count. He’ll pair up with Kobbie Mainoo in the team’s double pivot setup, with Bruno Fernandes as the attacking midfielder. On the other hand, Sesko could reclaim his starting No. 9 role or come off the bench if Carrick goes with Bryan Mbeumo up front.

After revamping their frontline last summer, it’s clear that Manchester United’s next agenda is upgrading the midfield, especially with Casemiro leaving. The Red Devils have been linked to several players, including one of their opponents this Sunday.

 

Anderson’s stock continues to rise at Nottingham Forest

And that man is Elliot Anderson, who has been Nottingham Forest’s lynchpin in the middle this term. The 23-year-old enforcer is coming off a Man of the Match-calibre performance against Newcastle United, as he scored the late equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Anderson is now the Tricky Trees’ joint-third leading scorer with four goals. He has won the most duels in the English top-flight (284), registered the fourth-most successful long passes (115), and the most successful short passes (1,813), making him the ideal target at Old Trafford.

Nottingham Forest are unwilling to let Anderson leave easily. Manchester United will have to bring out a king’s ransom to complete the blockbuster transfer.

 

History

Manchester United are winless in their last four Premier League encounters with Nottingham Forest (D1, L3), having won eight straight times against them before this. Their last victory was a 3-2 result at Old Trafford in August 2023.

These two teams shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw last November, as Amad Diallo’s 84th-minute volley salvaged a point for Manchester United. The Red Devils trailed 2-1 for the most part after Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona’s second-half goals nullified Casemiro’s 34th-minute goal.

Nottingham Forest’s eight-game unbeaten run is their longest such streak in the same top-flight campaign since they didn’t lose any of their first 12 matches in 1995-96.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2026 odds expect Manchester United to break their hoodoo against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The Red Devils are 1.60 favourites to win, whereas the Tricky Trees are huge 4.62 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.86 in the 1X2 market. This is Manchester United’s time to finish the job, as this is a winnable game against a mid-table side.

SBOTOP football fans at Old Trafford can expect their usual dose of Premier League 2026 highlights from this contest. Besides rooting for the hosts to win, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.75 at 1.76, Over 3.00 at 1.99, Over 3.25 at 2.29, and even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.68 to the parlay. 

However, if you fancy Nottingham Forest to get a point here, check out the Correct Score of 2-2 – the result of their previous league encounter – given its handsome payout of 15.00 your bet.

   

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