Friday night football returns to the Stadium of Light for a high-stakes Premier League clash as Sunderland host Nottingham Forest.
Sunderland sit eleventh in the table with 46 points after a chaotic seven-goal thriller against Aston Villa. Régis Le Bris’s men showed attacking flair but fell short in a 4-3 defeat.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest arrive full of confidence following their dominant 4-1 victory over Burnley. They occupy sixteenth place with 36 points and aim to pull further away from the relegation zone.
Last Meeting: Nottingham Forest 0–1 Sunderland (27 September 2025, Premier League)
Régis Le Bris confirmed that Nilson Angulo and Bertrand Traoré remain sidelined for this fixture. They are close to returning and could join team training next week. Jocelin Ta Bi recently returned to the practice pitch and reportedly felt good. Despite this, Omar Alderete is out of the defensive unit tonight. Trai Hume should keep his place after scoring against Villa last weekend.
Vítor Pereira must cope without Murillo after the Brazilian suffered a muscle injury. The defender will likely miss the Europa League semi-final first leg as well. Callum Hudson-Odoi is also absent after undergoing quadriceps surgery on Tuesday. In his absence, Jair Cunha should step into the heart of the backline. Hat-trick hero Morgan Gibbs-White will lead the creative efforts once again.
Sunderland have relied on tactical discipline and collective spirit to maintain a mid-table position. That said, their once-fortress Stadium of Light has looked shaky recently. They have lost three of their last four home games against Fulham, Liverpool, and Brighton. Their high-scoring defeat to Villa accounted for 9% of their total league goals this term.
Forest are currently enjoying their best run of the season with a seven-match unbeaten streak. Vítor Pereira has transformed his side into a resilient unit that rarely crumbles under pressure. They have won two of their last three league games, matching their previous fourteen matches combined. That said, Sunderland won the reverse fixture 1-0 earlier this campaign. The Black Cats now seek to become the 21st team to win on every day of the week.
Sunderland Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Mukiele, O’Nien, Ballard, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki; Rigg, Diarra, Le Fee; Brobbey
Nottingham Forest Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Jair, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Jesus
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage of the match starts at 19:00 BST.
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