Premier League: Forest, Saints Vie for First Taste of Victory

Southampton vs Nottingham Forest

Both clubs got the short end of the stick in their Premier League openers last week.

The Saints had a one-man advantage for most of the match, as Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar received a red card in the 28^th minute, yet ended up losing 1-0.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, had their work cut out for them against a gritty Bournemouth side.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s 2024/25 Forest campaign started with one of his promising players, Danilo, breaking his leg not even 10 minutes into the match. Thankfully, the Tricky Trees took an early lead, with Chris Wood striking first in the 23^rd minute. But just as they thought they’d leave the match with all three points secured, Antoine Semenyo equalised for the Cherries in the 86^th minute to frustrate the home team.

And as both clubs head into the second week of the season, considering their earlier fates, three points would do them a whole lot of good.

 

Talking Points

Saints are not clinical enough

Southampton’s game against Newcastle—between Ben Brereton Diaz’s Oscar-worthy acting, Alex McCarthy’s carelessness and their overall lacklustre effort to break through a disadvantaged opposition—was poor.

They were lucky that referee Craig Pawson sided with Brereton Diaz’s antics; had it not been for that, then perhaps the Magpies’ ugly win would’ve been a tad prettier.

Russell Martin’s side had 19 shots to Newcastle’s three. They also controlled 78 per cent of the possession and had 12 corners. Some could’ve argued Southampton deserved at least a point for their efforts instead of leaving St. James’ Park empty-handed.

Their forwards, Adam Armstrong and Brereton Diaz, had poor showings and missed their respective chances to give the Saints a good result.

Some fans also lamented the fact that Russell Martin was playing a losing game with how the team’s tactics were shaped.

Luckily, they will be at St. Mary’s Stadium against Forest, where hopes are that the home crowd can help lift Southampton to a victory.

 

Danilo’s season may be over

The 23-year-old Brazilian was touted to have a good season after his good performance with Forest last year. It was supposed to be a campaign that would allow Danilo to shine in a midfield where he scored six goals and assisted four in 49 appearances in all competitions.

Sadly, it seems as if he’ll have to sit the rest of the year out after the horrid injury he suffered against Bournemouth.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was obviously distraught with the accident, losing a key player in his squad on the very first day of the season.

“It’s a tough moment for all, especially for Danilo. We don’t know yet what has happened but we know it’s serious,” he said after the match.

And if indeed the midfielder will miss the majority, if not the entirety of the season, then the former two-time European Cup winners may once more be in a year-long relegation battle.

 

History

Both clubs have faced each other a total of 118 times, with the Tricky Trees having 52 wins to Southampton’s 39; the 29 other meetings, meanwhile, were all draws.

Forest were the victors in their last two outings back in January and May of last year, finishing with an aggregate score of 5-3. The game played in May was an unforgettable one for fans of both clubs, as Forest edged out a tight 4-3 win that went down the wire. 

Prior to their 2023 Premier League games, the last time they met was back in 2012 at the Championship, where Southampton clinched a 0-3 win.

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League 2024 odds predict this match to be a tight one. The Saints are the favourites at 2.40, whilst Forest are priced at 2.70. Now, if your head is telling you that this contest will end in a stalemate, then you may place a bet that is priced at 3.18.

And with how closely matched the two sides are, I believe that there would be very little that separates them. The match may not be filled with a tonne of Premier League 2024 highlights, but whoever comes out as the winner will have their heads held high.

Trust me on this one, it will be a gritty affair.

   

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