Where will Nottingham Forest finish in the 2024/25 Premier League season? Odds, probable finish, signings, best players and full squad
Nottingham Forest are competing in their eighth Premier League season and third on the bounce after staving off relegation last time out.
After struggling under Steve Cooper, the Reds appointed Nuno Espírito Santo, who achieved six wins from his 21 matches, but it was enough to maintain Forest’s top-flight status.
Having ultimately finished in 17th place, six points above the drop zone, Forest are expected to struggle again. Currently, they have a 6.7% chance of being relegated, as per implied probability. However, Espírito Santo is confident his team can move up the Premier League table. He has been delivering on his end of the deal, with Forest sitting in the league’s top half as we head into November.
Latest Nottingham Forest odds to finish in 2024/25 Premier League
With Espírito Santo at the helm, Forest had the 14th-best Premier League record last season. They’d compete for a top-half finish if they could reproduce or better that form across a whole campaign. Based on bookmaker odds, the implied probability of this is 29.4%. Anything more will see Forest fans dreaming, just like during the halcyon days of Brian Clough. Based on implied probability, they have a 4.8% chance of a top-six finish.
Nottingham Forest’s summer transfer window business so far
Few teams were as active in the summer transfer window as Forest since they returned to the Premier League two years ago. And it was no different heading into the 2024/25 campaign with 12 players joining the club, with Elliot Anderson being the most notable acquisition.
Espírito Santo reinforced his defence with the ‘experience and quality’ of Serbian centre-back Nikola Milenkovic, plus fellow CBs Morato and David Carmo, while towering 6’8″ Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Miguel says he is excited to join a ‘giant club’ and aims to challenge Matz Sels for the No. 1 spot. The versatile full-back-cum-winger Eric da Silva Moreira, Marko Stamenic and Portuguese winger Jota Silva — who scored 15 goals last term to earn an international call-up — Ramón Sosa and Shae Cahill as well as loanees James Ward-Prowse and Alex Moreno round off their signings.
Going in the other direction have been Moussa Niakhaté, Orel Mangala, Remo Freuler, Odysseas Vlachodimos, and Julian Larsson, with Wayne Hennessey and Cheikhou Kouyaté also released. Meanwhile, Jonathan Panzo and Marko Stamenic have been loaned out.
Who are Nottingham Forest’s most important players?
Nottingham Forest’s top Premier League Golden Boot contender: Chris Wood
After three paltry seasons, Chris Wood returned to his previous form last time out. The marksman from Auckland bagged 14 goals, equaling his best-ever Premier League return in one fewer game, from just 48 shots. That worked out as a 29.2% conversion rate. It was also his fifth season, where he netted at least ten goals.
In the absence of Taiwo Awoniyi, who many consider to be Forest’s first-choice striker, Wood stepped up and scored some vital goals. Eleven of his 14 goals have either been equalisers or put Forest ahead. The three goals that came when Forest were leading occurred during games in which Wood had already scored: his hat-trick goal against Newcastle and the second goals in his brace against Luton and Burnley, respectively.
Nothing has changed so far in 2024/25 as Wood has scored seven of Nottingham Forest’s last 10 Premier League goals and five of their eight this season (63%). If that’s not impressive, each of Chris Wood’s last five Premier League goals for Nottingham Forest have put them 1-0 up. Indeed, since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland (12), Cole Palmer (9) and Dominic Solanke (9) have scored more openers in the competition than Wood (8).
Nottingham Forest’s primary playmaker: Morgan Gibbs-White
Last season was a breakthrough for Morgan Gibbs-White, who had 10 assists, with only Ollie Watkins (13) and Cole Palmer (11) registering more. It was his best-ever return in a Premier League campaign (two more than for Forest in 2022/23), making him the third Nottingham Forest player to reach double figures for assists in a single season in the competition. He joined Bryan Roy in 1994/95 (11) and Ian Woan in 1995/96 (10).
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers academy graduate reunited with former boss Espírito Santo midway through the 2023/24 season and created eight of his ten goals under the Portuguese tactician’s leadership. No Forest player created more chances (74) than Gibbs-White, with the second-best player producing 38 fewer goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Nottingham Forest’s card magnets & top tacklers: Neco Williams
It’s fair to say Neco Williams continued where he left off. During the 2022/23 campaign, the former Liverpool man produced 64 tackles. He scored five better last term, placing him first among his teammates regarding this particular statistic. However, the full-back behaved differently regarding fouls, producing 23, a far cry from Ryan Yates’ 54 – the only Nottingham Forest player to smash the 50-foul barrier. Yates picked up six yellow cards for his troubles, two more than Williams, but three fewer than Gibbs-White, whose nine yellow cards were collected across 36 tackles and 37 fouls made. So far in 2024/25, Williams has seen yellow on more occasions (three) than any Forest player.
Nottingham Forest’s rising star: Elliot Anderson
Big things were placed on Elliot Anderson when he broke through at his boyhood club, Newcastle United, where many tipped him to become an integral part of Eddie Howe’s team going into the future. However, that promise will not be realised on Tyneside as Anderson—a Scotland U21 international eligible to represent England—completed an eye-catching move to Forest, where he joins a team bristling with youngsters on the verge of truly making a name for themselves. His move echoed Anthony Elanga’s own the previous summer.
With opportunities limited at Manchester United, the Swedish forward jumped at the chance of regular playing time in the East Midlands and had a 2023/24 season to remember. He provided nine assists from open play in the Premier League, with only Bryan Roy in 1994/95 (10) providing more assists from open play in a single Premier League season for Forest. Callum Hudson-Odoi, another relocating from a ‘Big Six’ club (Chelsea), showed glimpses through eight goals across 29 appearances and should kick on further in 2024/25.
Anderson has settled in well: one assists through eight appearances with him leading Forest in the following metrics: touches in the opposition box (17), take-on completed (12) and big chances created (2).
Nottingham Forest’s set-piece specialists:
- Penalties: Morgan Gibbs-White
- Free kicks: Morgan Gibbs-White and Neco Williams
- Corners: Morgan Gibbs-White, Danilo and Neco Williams
Nottingham Forest’s tactical analysis, formation & player ratings
Nottingham Forest team stats from the 2023/24 Premier League season (avg per game):
- Corners: 3.89
- Shots on target: 3.89
- Shots on target conceded: 13.39
- Offsides: 2.03
Nottingham Forest 2024/25 player ratings*
- GK: Matz Sels – 76% – Sels has been in incredible form this season, making key saves to keep three clean sheets in eight games, conceding just six times.
- RB: Ola Aina – 66% – Aina has performed excellently as a full-back on either flank. Neco Williams, who Aina has displaced with Moreno taking up Forest’s left-back berth, comes in at 67% on the Squawka Score.
- CB: Nikola Milenković – 75% – Pre-season expectations are being met as Milenković has become a key player in Espírito Santo’s defence, also contributing offensively.
- CB: Murillo – 55% – Murillo has formed an excellent partnership with Milenković, providing the foundation for what could be Forest’s highest Premier League finish.
- LB: Àlex Moreno – 60% – On loan from Aston Villa, it didn’t take long for Moreno to settle into Forest’s starting line-up with the Spaniard contributing at both ends.
- CM: Ryan Yates – 40% – Leading by example, skipper Yates brings a semblance of calm to Forest’s midfield and does nothing extraordinary to boast his statistical metrics, hence the lower rating.
- CM: Elliot Anderson – 58% – Forest’s marquee summer signing, Anderson, has quickly made an impact, and it won’t be long before he starts regularly scoring and creating goals.
- AM: Morgan Gibbs-White – 56% – Gibbs-White has generated numerous scoring opportunities but has yet to record an assist. It seems inevitable that this will change soon.
- RW: Anthony Elanga – 51% – Last season felt like a breakthrough campaign for the former Man Utd forward, who has one assist through eight appearances with nine chances created.
- LW: Callum Hudson-Odoi – 65% – He is one of four Nottingham Forest players who scored a goal this season. Additionally, Hudson-Odoi has proven to be a creative force, having created 13 chances to date, more than any of his teammates.
- CF: Chris Wood – 74% – To say Wood is Forest’s most crucial player would be an understatement. He has been responsible for 62.5% of their goals in the first eight Premier League matches.
Since taking charge of Forest, Espírito Santo has primarily used a 4-2-3-1 formation in 18 out of 21 Premier League matches to end last season. In two games against Manchester City and Chelsea, he used a back three, while in another match against Brighton, he tried an attacking 4-3-3 but ended up losing 1-0. With the team’s personnel changing, it was uncertain what Santo’s preferred starting line-up would be. However, that has since been settled with the formation staying the same: a back four, two central midfielders, one deep-lying forward supporting a lone centre forward, and two wingers attacking from the flanks.
Nottingham Forest’s full Premier League 2024/25 squad
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | AGE |
| Matz Sels | Goalkeeper | 32 |
| Carlos Miguel | Goalkeeper | 26 |
| Murillo | Defender | 22 |
| Nikola Milenković | Defender | 27 |
| Morato | Defender | 23 |
| Andrew Omobamidele | Defender | 22 |
| Willy Boly | Defender | 33 |
| Zach Abbott | Defender | 18 |
| Álex Moreno | Defender | 31 |
| Harry Toffolo | Defender | 29 |
| Neco Williams | Defender | 23 |
| Ola Aina | Defender | 28 |
| Ibrahim Sangaré | Midfielder | 26 |
| Danilo | Midfielder | 23 |
| Elliot Anderson | Midfielder | 21 |
| James Ward-Prowse | Midfielder | 29 |
| Nicolás Domínguez | Midfielder | 26 |
| Ryan Yates | Midfielder | 26 |
| Morgan Gibbs-White | Midfielder | 24 |
| Callum Hudson-Odoi | Forward | 23 |
| Ramón Sosa | Forward | 25 |
| Jota Silva | Forward | 25 |
| Anthony Elanga | Forward | 22 |
| Eric da Silva Moreira | Forward | 18 |
| Taiwo Awoniyi | Forward | 27 |
| Chris Wood | Forward | 32 |
| Emmanuel Dennis | Forward | 26 |
Nottingham Forest FAQs
Where did Nottingham Forest finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season?
Nottingham Forest staved off Premier League relegation when they finished in 17th place.
Who is the Nottingham Forest manager?
Nuno Espírito Santo took over as Nottingham Forest manager in December 2023, replacing Steve Cooper. He secured 22 points out of a possible 63 to conclude the 2023/24 season.
Who is the current Nottingham Forest captain?
Ryan Yates, who came through Nottingham Forest’s academy, is their captain and was described by former boss Cooper as a “culture-setter” within the team.
What is Nottingham Forest’s best Premier League finish?
Nottingham Forest’s best Premier League finish is third place, which they achieved in the 1994/95 season under Frank Clark.
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