Premier League: Who can build on a Boxing Day Bonus?

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

What a difference a day makes. 

In the run up to Christmas Day it was hard for football fans to raise a smile in Nottingham or the red half of Manchester…unless they could take their minds of the state their two teams were in.

Nuno Espirito Santo had just taken over a Nottingham Forest side which was on an alarming slide and he had lost his first game in charge, a winnable home match against Bournemouth; so hardly anyone expected them the beat Newcastle away… which they did on Boxing Day. So now his team and their fans can look forward to Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United with more optimism.

Erik Ten Hag had his own problems at Old Trafford where Manchester United were in a state of disarray, losing eight of their first 18 league games and crashing out of the Champions League. But then, on Boxing Day, the Red Devils fought back from a two goal deficit to beat high flying Aston Villa 3-2.

So the City Ground will be awash with happy faces when the two teams run out; but who will be smiling at 8pm on Saturday?       

Talking Points

Wood resurfaces at Forest

Who’d have thought it? Premier League stalwart Chris Wood, sold by Burnley in 2022 to then relegation rivals Newcastle United before the newly moneyed Magpies passed him on to Premier League newcomers Forest. Burnley fans loved him as part of a bruising front pair alongside Ashley Barnes who roughed up defenders the length and breadth of the country.

The 6ft 3in New Zealander is now 32 years of age and, in a team which tries to play the ball on the ground it looked like he may be used as an impact sub to either grab a goal or protect a point. But his hat-trick which stunned Newcastle on Boxing Day showed just what a quality striker Wood still is. He now has seven goals and is top scoring for Forest and he’s a shoe-in to start again against the Red Devils. Wood only scored once during his 12 months as a Newcastle player but he hit his former employers with a quick-fire hat-trick on his return to St James Park. His first goal was a tap-in as Forest breached the Magpies’ offside trap but his next two goals were the classy finishes of a Premier League veteran. He dinked the second over Martin Dubravka with a lovely chip and then dummied the Newcastle keeper to slide home his third.  

Former Manchester United starlet Anthony Elanga is starting to fulfil his undoubted potential with Forest and he has contributed four goals and made five assists and, alongside Callum Hudson Odoi, he has the pace and trickery to get behind the defence and supply ammunition for the reborn Wood.    

Hojlund is finally off the mark

Manchester United were a shambles in the first half against Aston Villa, going two goals down by the half time break but Ten Hag did his work at half time and the players responded, the livewire Alejandro Garnacho scoring twice to level. And the half time boos turned to ecstatic cheers when £72m summer signing Rasmus Hojlund finally scored a Premier League goal, at the 15^th attempt. With fewer than ten minutes remaining the Red Devils won a corner and when it was swung over his volley found the inside of the post and flew into the net.

As Hojlund broke his duck the noise in Old Trafford brought back memories of happier times and the optimism has returned…but now they need to follow that up. And so does Hojlund, who did well during the Red Devils’ failed Champions League campaign, scoring five goals; but now he has got rid of an unwanted league record and he has the ability to kick on.     

History

With ten victories, two draws and a single defeat the Red Devils have almost had it all their own way in the head-to-head Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United results over the past 30 years. Ten Hag’s side did the double last year and Forest have failed to win any of the last ten encounters.

The Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United betting odds say they have a decent chance on Saturday, but the hosts are used to losing, with four defeats from the last six while the Red Devils have lost three.  

Betting Tip

Forest, with renewed optimism, are at SBOTOP odds of 2.86 to win and the Red Devils are priced at 2.11 to pick up another three festive points. Before Boxing Day I would have said both teams have the ability to lose; now they know how to win…so I’m going for a draw!

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.