Wolverhampton Wanderers’ choice to substitute Gary O’Neil with Vítor Pereira before Christmas has proven fruitful, as they remain unbeaten since (two wins, one draw), concluding 2024 with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham. However, Pereira now encounters a new challenge with key striker Matheus Cunha suspended for this game due to misconduct following last month’s 2-1 loss to Ipswich.
Still not safe from the threat of relegation, the hosts have significant work ahead after finishing the last matchday only one point above 18th-placed Ipswich. Without Cunha, maintaining their streak of scoring in their previous 11 home league matches (three wins, one draw, seven losses), including a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Boxing Day, might prove difficult.
Nottingham Forest enter 2025 occupying a spot in the top four, evoking the nostalgia of their fierce contests with Liverpool for domestic dominance during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While it might be overreaching to claim they’re in a title contention with Liverpool now, it certainly adds an interesting dimension as Nuno Espírito Santo revisits his first English managerial role, having led his current team to five consecutive Premier League victories—an achievement last seen in 1995.
Recent head-to-head encounters have been evenly matched, with the last four meetings ending in draws. Forest’s track record at Molineux is less impressive, managing just one victory in their previous five trips (D2, L2), indicating a challenging test awaits them. However, they journey to Wolverhampton buoyed by three successive league victories on the road and aim to stretch this run to four away wins—something not accomplished since March/April 1995, when they concluded the season in third place.
Players to keep an eye on: Hwang Hee-Chan has found the net in both of Wolves’ recent matches, with five of his last seven goals for the team occurring before the break. Former Wolves player Morgan Gibbs-White might pose a threat to his old team, having been involved in five goals in his past five outings (scoring twice and assisting three times). Interestingly, all of his goals this season have been scored away from home and after the interval.
In form: The hosts managed to score a first-half goal in each of the last five head-to-head encounters (Forest HT: W2, D3).
