Matchday 20 in the Premier League will see Wolverhampton face Nottingham Forest on January 6 at Molineux Stadium. Wolverhampton vs. Nottingham Forest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Peter Banks (England)
Matches – 10 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 41;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 20%.
Predicted lineups for Wolverhampton vs. Nottingham Forest
Wolverhampton (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa – Matt Doherty, Craig Dawson, Santiago Bueno – Joao Gomes, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Andre, Nelson Semedo – Matheus Cunha, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – Hwang Hee-chan.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Morato, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Elliot Anderson, Nicolas Dominguez – Ramon Sosa, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga – Chris Wood.
Each team’s starting lineup is from their last match in this tournament.
Wolverhampton
The club ended last year on a high note, going unbeaten in three Premier League games over the festive period. They secured clean-sheet victories against Leicester (3-0) and Manchester United (2-0), and drew with Tottenham (2-2). Vitor Pereira's side has moved out of the relegation zone, though the gap is minimal. Alongside Leicester, Wolverhampton has conceded the most goals in the league – 42.
Forward Matheus Cunha will miss the match due to suspension. Injuries rule out forwards Sasa Kalajdzic and Enzo Gonzalez, defenders Tote Gomes and Yerson Mosquera, and midfielders Boubacar Traore and Pablo Sarabia.
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of the club’s last 8 Premier League matches.
- Both teams have scored in 14 of Wolverhampton’s last 18 league encounters.
- The number "2" has appeared in the final scoreline in 9 of their last 12 Premier League games.
Nottingham Forest
The team approaches this match on a five-game winning streak in the league. Such a run hasn't been seen since spring 1995, when they finished the season in third place. After the first half of this season, the club is also third, trailing leaders Liverpool by eight points. Notably, Nuno Espirito Santo's side has not conceded in their last three matches, beating Tottenham at home (1-0) and winning away at Brentford and Everton (both 2-0).
Midfielder Ibrahim Sangare is sidelined with an injury.
- At least one team has failed to score in 6 of Nottingham's last 8 league games.
- Nottingham Forest's uncompromising run in the Premier League stands at 12 matches (9 wins and 3 losses).
- The club has won the second half in 7 of their last 10 away Premier League games (1 draw and 2 losses).
Wolverhampton vs. Nottingham Forest: Match Prediction
The final match of Matchday 20 could go either way. Both teams are on an upswing: the hosts have collected seven points in three league matches since changing their head coach, while the visitors are on the verge of European competition for the first time this century, boasting their best Premier League form in 30 years. Therefore, I recommend focusing on goal-scoring potential, as I expect both teams to find the net in this game.
Wolverhampton, despite conceding the most in the Premier League, also scores at a level comparable to teams in the European competition zone. The club has scored in all home league games this season, with a total scoring streak at Molineux of 11 games in the Premier League. Both teams have scored in 9 of Wolverhampton's last 11 home league matches. Nottingham has conceded in 6 of their last 8 away league games but has scored in 10 of their last 12 away matches in the Premier League. Additionally, all four previous Premier League meetings between these teams ended 1-1 or 2-2.
My prediction – Both teams to score – yes
