NafisaNottingham Forest supporters will be regularly keeping tabs on the scores of their Champions League competitors in the coming weeks, with Newcastle United’s clash against Chelsea on Sunday being one to keep an eye on.
For Nuno Espirito Santo, however, the priority must stay within the squad, as outcomes elsewhere will be irrelevant if Forest can’t deliver on their part in the top-five battle.
Roy Keane expressed skepticism about backing Forest to defeat Leicester, which underscores just how competitive the final weeks will be, even if a fixture appears routine on paper.
Nothing about Sunday will be routine as Forest attempt to narrow the gap on Chelsea and Newcastle, whose midday match could coincide with Forest’s, presenting a distraction for Espirito Santo to contend with.
Nuno Espirito Santo addresses Newcastle vs Chelsea distraction:
Back at the City Ground, Espirito Santo already has enough concerns as Murillo races to be available to face Leicester. The conclusion of their rivals’ match coinciding with his side’s preparations could also present a complication, something the Forest boss acknowledged in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
He said: The timing [of Newcastle vs Chelsea] is going to upset our warm-up because the players are going to be on the TV looking at the game for sure. […] It’s impossible [to avoid], with phones and TVs, it’s better to see. It doesn’t matter, we can’t control it. It’s about us now.”
Due to the way the Premier League broadcasting agreement functions in the modern game, it’s uncommon for many matches to take place simultaneously, so the distraction of watching other teams’ results remains a constant challenge.
Naturally, it could serve as motivation to know ahead of time what’s required in a match, but Espirito Santo would clearly prefer to block out the external noise from the City Ground on Sunday.
In the lead-up, though, it’s certainly worthwhile examining the scenarios surrounding the showdown in the North East, especially as Forest’s Champions League hopes have recently suffered a setback.
Would Forest prefer Newcastle or Chelsea to win on Sunday:
Michael Dawson still believes in Forest’s chances of Champions League qualification, even if it now appears more complicated, largely because of the fixtures remaining for both Newcastle and Chelsea.
Newcastle Fixtures Chelsea Fixtures
Chelsea (h) Newcastle (a)
Arsenal (a) Man United (h)
Everton (h) Nottingham Forest (a)
Naturally, both sides can’t secure all available points since they face each other, which benefits Forest. The objective for Espirito Santo’s team, then, is to keep the race alive until the final day of the campaign.
To set up this Champions League decider against Chelsea on the final day, it makes logical sense for Forest to hope Newcastle come out on top on Sunday, offering the Reds an opportunity to overtake Chelsea in the standings.
This scenario would mean that even if the Forest side then fell short against West Ham, they would still have a shot on the final day.
Nafisa
