Southampton were unlucky to lose away at Newcastle on the opening weekend and will be hoping for a better result in their first home game of the campaign against Nottingham Forest.
The visitors drew with Bournemouth last time out and should provide another stern test for Saturday's hosts in a game that feels like it could go either way.
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Southampton vs Nottingham Forest prediction: Possible stalemate on the cards?
Key Stats
- Two of Southampton's last three matches have ended in draws.
- Under 2.5 goals have been produced in each of the Saints' last five outings.
- Four of Nottm Forest's last six fixtures have witnessed fewer than three goals.
Correct score prediction: Southampton 1-1 Nottm Forest
Neither of these two teams have scored or conceded a lot of goals over their last six matches and we can see the two clubs cancelling one another out on Saturday. The Saints have only lost two of their last six fixtures while Nottingham Forest have only lost one of their last six.
Pre-game odds and win probability: The Saints are the slight favourite
- HOME: 8/5 (2.60) – 38.5%
- DRAW: 49/20 (3.45) – 29%
- AWAY: 9/5 (2.80) – 35.7%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Southampton are the expected winner of this game with a probability of 38.5%, but we are predicting a close game between the pair. In any case, based on these odds, we can conclude that the bookies don't have a clear favourite in this match.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: Nottm Forest edge it
Saturday's guests have won three and lost two of their last five games against Southampton, claiming a 4-3 victory when the pair last met back in May 2023.
Overall, the H2H record throughout the history belongs to Nottingham Forest, who have a solid advantage over Southampton: 51-27-39.
England Premier League 08/05/23
Nottm Forest
Southampton
England Premier League 04/01/23
Southampton
Nottm Forest
Southampton preview: Unlucky at St James' Park
The Saints made the trip to Newcastle expecting to be dominated from start to finish but it was Southampton that controlled the game.
Newcastle had defender Fabian Schar sent off in the 28th minute and from that point on the Saints peppered Nick Pope's goal with shot after shot but failed to make the breakthrough.
Instead, it was Newcastle that took the lead right before the break and despite having plenty of opportunities in the second half, Southampton lost the game 1-0.
Russel Martin could be without the likes of Gavin Bazunu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ross Stewart and Adam Lallana this weekend due to injury.
Predicted lineup: McCarthy (GK), Stephens, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Smallbone, Downes, Armstrong & Brereton
England Premier League 31/08/24
L
Brentford
3
Southampton
1
England EFL Cup 28/08/24
W
Cardiff
3
Southampton
5
England Premier League 24/08/24
L
Nottm Forest
1
Southampton
0
England Premier League 17/08/24
L
Newcastle
1
Southampton
0
Elite Club Friendlies 10/08/24
D
Getafe
0
Southampton
0
Nottm Forest preview: Started with a draw
Nottingham Forest took the lead at home to Bournemouth in the 23rd minute through last season's top scorer Chris Wood.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo's side couldn't hold on to their lead and conceded a late equaliser to the Cherries as the game ended in a 1-1 draw which was probably a fair result on the balance of play.
Nikola Milenkovic is available for selection this weekend but Danilo looks set to miss out through injury.
Predicted lineup: Sels (GK), Boly, Aina, Williams, Murillo, Sangaré, Gibbs-White, Yates, Wood, Hudson-Odoi & Elanga
England Premier League 31/08/24
D
Wolverhampton
1
Nottm Forest
1
England EFL Cup 28/08/24
L
Newcastle
1 (4)
Nottm Forest
1 (3)
England Premier League 24/08/24
W
Southampton
0
Nottm Forest
1
England Premier League 17/08/24
D
Bournemouth
1
Nottm Forest
1
Community Shield 09/08/24
W
Brentford
0
Nottm Forest
1
Player to watch – Adam Armstrong
Southampton striker Adam Armstrong has always scored goals in the Championship but has never been able to maintain those goals when playing in England's top flight.
Armstrong scored twice in 23 games of the 2021/22 Premier League season and three times in 30 appearances of the 2022/23 campaign but as soon as Southampton were relegated to the Championship the former Newcastle forward netted 21 goals in 46 games.
Will Armstrong score goals in the Premier League this season?
This feels like a make-or-break season for Armstrong as he needs to score into double figures if he wants to prove that he can perform in the Premier League.
