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Nottingham Forest can ease the sting of Europa League disappointment by all but securing Premier League safety when they welcome Newcastle United to the City Ground on Sunday.
The bookies can barely split them with the Magpies narrow favourites. You can find betting offers at the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers.
Forest’s hopes of continental glory ended in the semi-finals, as a first-leg advantage counted for little as they full to an eventual 4-1 aggregate defeat to Aston Villa. Now, with three matches left, Vitor Pereira’s side sit three points and three places below Newcastle in the table and can focus solely on staying up.
Forest are well placed to do just that. A seven-game unbeaten league run, including consecutive wins over Chelsea, Sunderland and Burnley, has opened up a five-point cushion over Tottenham and a six-point gap to West Ham, who face leaders Arsenal. Victory this weekend would go a long way to confirming survival ahead of tough closing fixtures against Manchester United and Bournemouth.
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Forest’s confidence is also fuelled by goals. After drawing a blank at Villa Park, they have hit five against Sunderland, four against Burnley and three against Chelsea, and could score three or more in four straight Premier League games for the first time in 31 years. However, their recent record against Newcastle is poor: Forest have lost the last five meetings, kept no clean sheet in 14 games against the Magpies, and have seen both teams score in six of the last seven head-to-heads.
Newcastle arrive with morale improved after a 3-1 win over Brighton ended a four-match losing streak, with William Osula, Dan Burn and Harvey Barnes on target. Eddie Howe’s side need just one more point from their final three games to mathematically confirm safety, although their recent away form is a concern, with four defeats in their last five on the road.
History at the City Ground, though, is firmly in Newcastle’s favour. The Magpies are unbeaten in their seven Premier League away games at Forest and have won their last four visits there — a run they have never extended to five away league wins against the same opponent.
- Newcastle to win and both teams to score – 19/10 ( BetGoodwin )
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Newcastle’s outgoing defender Kieran Trippier looks set to start in each of the final three gameweeks, albeit in unfortunate circumstances after Lewis Miley fractured his fibula in training on Tuesday and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Eddie Howe also does not expect Tino Livramento (groin) or Fabian Schar (ankle) to feature again before the campaign ends, while Emil Krafth (knee) remains a long-term absentee.
For Nottingham Forest, Vitor Pereira offered no definitive update on Morgan Gibbs-White (face), Murillo and Ola Aina in his pre-match press conference, although Gibbs-White was at least among the substitutes at Villa Park after suffering a nasty cut against Chelsea.
Zach Abbott is also being monitored following his own head injury at Stamford Bridge, while Willy Boly (knee), Callum Hudson-Odoi (thigh), John Victor (knee) and Nicolo Savona (knee) are all set to miss out.
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