Nottingham Forest against Manchester United has long carried echoes of the past, but rarely has it looked like this.
Forest, third in the Premier League, sit 17 points ahead of a United side languishing in 13th position.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been one of the season’s great surprises. Their 54 points from 29 games place them six clear of fifth-placed Manchester City.
If they keep this up, European football will return to the City Ground for the first time in decades.
Forest’s rise has been defined by resilience. They are unbeaten in their last eight home league matches, earning draws against title challengers Arsenal and Liverpool.
A 4-2 win over Ipswich Town before the international break kept them on track. Their FA Cup semi-final place, secured via penalties against Brighton & Hove Albion, has only added to the momentum.
Beating United would complete Forest’s first league double over them since 1991-92. That season, Brian Clough was in charge, and Forest were still a force.
For United, this is about survival, not status. They are still searching for back-to-back league wins for the first time this season, which says everything about their inconsistency.
Ruben Amorim has steadied the ship, and recent results, including the 3-0 win at Leicester City and a 4-1 Europa League triumph over Real Sociedad, suggest progress.
However, qualifying for the Champions League via the league is out of reach. Their best hope is through Europe. The United boss admits that confidence is growing.
“I feel the players are more confident – the energy is different,” he said. “But we know this can change with results.”
Amorim is under no illusions about Forest’s quality. “I’m not surprised because I know the work Nuno did before,” he added. “When you see his team play, you can see the energy.”
United have been out of action for over two weeks, while Forest played 120 minutes in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Amorim knows that could make a difference but remains cautious. “The environment will be really nice as they are doing amazing, and we want to continue to win games,” Amorim said.
