Sunderland and Nottingham Forest meet at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League on Friday evening with kick-off set for 8:00pm. The hosts still have European qualification aspirations this season, while the visitors will be looking to take a big step towards staying in the top tier of English football. Find our match preview and best bets below.
Best Bets & Predictions
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Gibbs-White Over 0.5 Shots on Target | 4/5 @ Bet365 (55.6%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | After a hat-trick last time out against Burnley, confidence will be high for Morgan Gibbs-White and with Forest desperatly needing points, he will lead the charge on the Sunderland goal. It’s 12 league goals in total this season for the 26-year-old and when it comes to hitting the target, he has done so at least once in all of his last six and in nine of his last ten. All things considered, 4/5 looks too big. |
| Neco Williams Over 1.5 Shots | 12/5 @ BetMGM (29.4%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | With Premier League survival on the minds of the visitors, we expect Forest to attack here. Neco Williams may be a left back, but he has let off at least two shots in all of his last four Premier League matches, with figures of 2,2,4,2. Only Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White have taken more shots this season than Williams and with that in mind, we think this bet has more of a chance than the 29% that 12/5 implies. |
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Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams go into Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest
Sunderland have been one of the stories of the season on their return to the Premier League. Back for the first time since 2016 to 17 and they are not just surviving, they are pushing for Europe. With 46 points from 33 games, Regis Le Bris has his side sitting 11th, just four points off sixth-placed Brighton with a game in hand. Win that and the gap shrinks to one. Game on.
It is tight though. Just eight points separate sixth from 14th so there is no margin for error. Sunderland need a strong finish, especially after that late 4 3 loss to Aston Villa, where they conceded in the 93rd minute. Home form has been solid with eight wins from 16, but only one win in their last four at the Stadium of Light suggests they need to step it up now.
Nottingham Forest come into this flying. Four wins and three draws from their last seven in all competitions has put them in a strong spot, including a place in the Europa League semi-finals against Aston Villa. In the league, Vitor Pereira’s side have taken points in five straight, winning two and drawing three, highlighted by a 3 0 win over Tottenham.
That run has lifted Forest to 16th on 36 points, five clear of 18th-placed Spurs with five games left. The run-in is tough though, with Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester United and Bournemouth to come.
Sunderland team news
Sunderland have a few issues to deal with, with Omar Alderete, Simon Moore and Romaine Mundle ruled out, while Jocelin Ta Bi, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo are doubts. Trai Hume stepped in for Alderete last time out and got on the scoresheet, and he could keep his place alongside Dan Ballard, Luke O’Nien and Nordi Mukiele.
Nottingham Forest team news
Forest have their own problems with Murillo, Dan Ndoye, Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona, John Victor and Callum Hudson Odoi all dealing with injuries. Vitor Pereira is likely to stick close to the side that smashed Burnley 4 1, with Morgan Gibbs White the main man after his hat trick. One tweak could see Igor Jesus come back in after coming off the bench to grab the fourth last time out.
Season Form & Standings
| Team | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 11 | 33 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 36 | 40 | -4 | 46 |
| Nottingham Forest | 16 | 33 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 36 | 45 | -9 | 36 |
Head-to-Head
Sunderland have won two of the last three meetings with Nottingham Forest, with all three games ending 1-0 to the away side. Matches have been tight, but Sunderland have edged the recent rivalry.
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 27/09/25 | Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland | Premier League |
| 30/12/17 | Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland | Championship |
| 12/09/17 | Sunderland 0-1 Nottingham Forest | Championship |
Conclusion
Both teams still have plenty to play for this season, and we should get a good battle in the North East on Friday evening. However, the result looks a little tricky to predict. Instead, we like the look of two player-based bets, with Gibbs-White to hit the target at least once at 4/5, and Neco Williams to let off two or more attempts at 12/5.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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