Forest Still not recovered from Stoke demolishing their promotion dreams

Stoke take on Nottingham Forest at the bet365 Stadium following the best start of a league season since 2003

Stoke have take 7 points from the nine available where as our opponents have 100% record, pity for them that’s it’s played 3 lost three.

Nick Powell will have a late fitness test but is expected to miss the game, Mario Vrancic though has trained all week with no reaction to the injury that kept him out.

How do we usually fair against Forest

Saturday’s game will be the 111th fixture between the two sides. Forest boast the better win percentage having won 45 of those games to Stoke’s 32.

Stoke have only won 2 of the last 10 meetings, but the last was a 4-1 win at the city ground that demolished Forest’s play off chance. Forest somehow needed to avoid a 6 goals swing in goal difference to Swansea to make the play offs. Stoke’s 96th minute goal in the last game of the season was sickening for the Forest fans. A moment in history they have yet to recover from.

Last two results

Stoke 1-1 Forest 

Forest 1-1 Stoke

Form

Nottingham Forest have had a shocker so far, though they have played 3 of the better looking sides in the league so far. Loses to Coventry, Bournemouth & Blackburn put Forest second bottom of the league on goal difference.

Who to watch out for.

On paper Forest have a decent side, but haven’t produced anything like what they should be producing. They have the likes of Lyle Taylor, Lewis Grabban & Joe Lolly within their squad all on their day good enough to start in a good proportion of the leagues sides. Loan signing from Watford Philip Zinckernagel has been Forest best player so far but has had to be with the right back Lawrence-Gabriel having a stinker so far, though he misses the game due to the red card he picked up versus Blackburn.

How Stoke could line up.

Mario Vrancic has trained this week having missed the last couple of fixtures. Nick Powell will have a late fitness test but is likely to miss out following been kicked off the pitch for 50min against Swansea. 

After two away fixtures where we played more as a 5-3-2, O’Neill could be a touch more attacking in the home fixtures to a 3-5-2.

Even though New signing Romaine Saywers is eligible to play, I can’t see anyone apart from the likely enforced change of Vrancic coming in for Powell from the fantastic performing side the beat Swansea.

What do you think the result will be?