Nottingham Forest are running on EMPTY and Vitor Pereira is considering tearing up his formation just to survive a daunting Etihad showdown with Manchester City .
The Reds head into Wednesday’s massive clash without a win in FIVE Premier League games, having been run ragged by Brighton on Sunday after their Europa League exploits . Now they face the small matter of Pep Guardiola’s title chasers. With nothing left in the tank.
Pereira didn’t hide it after the weekend defeat. His players were shattered. Some were almost running on empty. And while City enjoyed a full week to prepare, Forest have been fighting on two fronts .
THE FORMATION FIX
During the second half at Brighton, Pereira switched from a back four to a three man defence. It worked better. Now he’s considering starting that way against City .
That would mean Jair Cunha, who impressed off the bench, lining up alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic . The summer signing seems to have leapfrogged fellow Brazilian Morato in the pecking order .
Full back Luca Netz also caught the eye as a sub. Throwing him in for his first start at the Etihad is a massive call . But Pereira’s running out of options.
THE FATIGUE WORRIES
Neco Williams has been Mr Reliable all season. Against Brighton? He was well off it. If anyone summed up the mental and physical toll of this schedule, it was the Welshman .
Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson were also below par. That’s a problem, because those two make Forest tick . Without them firing, the whole system creaks.
Morgan Gibbs White can drop deeper. Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates are waiting in the wings. But Pereira needs Sangare and Anderson back to their best on Wednesday . No ifs. No buts.
THE GOAL DROUGHT
Up top, it’s getting desperate. Igor Jesus is struggling in the league. Taiwo Awoniyi is waiting for a chance. Lorenzo Lucca wasn’t even in the squad at Brighton and appears completely out of favour .
Chris Wood’s return can’t come soon enough but that’s not expected until next month . Until then, someone needs to step up.
Pereira might eventually try pairing Jesus and Awoniyi together . But away at Manchester City? That’s not the game for experiments.
THE PREDICTED XI
Forest are expected to line up like this:
Sels in goal; Jair, Milenkovic, Murillo as a back three; Aina and Williams as wing backs; Sangare and Anderson in midfield; Gibbs White and Hudson Odoi supporting Jesus up top .
It’s bold. It’s attacking. And it’s absolutely necessary.
THE CHALLENGE
City are chasing Arsenal at the top. They’ve got Haaland doubts and Guardiola grumbling about fixture fatigue . But they’re still City. Still at the Etihad. Still capable of tearing anyone apart.
Forest need a performance. They need points. And they need players who were running on empty three days ago to find something extra.
Pereira’s working on the tactics. The players need to deliver the legs. Without them, it could be a long night in Manchester.
