Nottingham vs Manchester Utd prediction: ENGLAND: FA Cup betting tips on match 2024-02-27 19:45.
The appointment of Nuno EspĂrito Santo as Nottingham Forest manager has failed to have the desired effect on their season, as a 4-2 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend left the Tricky Trees just four points clear of the Premier League drop zone. Perhaps the FA Cup can provide a welcome distraction as Forest enter the fifth round for just the second time in a decade, but with 12-time winners Manchester United standing in their way, progression looks a tall order.
Forest do at least have some recent bragging rights over United, beating them 2-1 in their final Premier League outing of 2023. That ended a 12-match winless H2H run (D1, L11) but repeating the act will surely depend on Nuno’s men improving on their previous FA Cup performances this season, as they needed a replay and extra time to defeat third-tier opposition in the third round, before beating Championship Bristol City on penalties last time out!
Manchester United enjoyed a seven-game unbeaten run after that defeat at Forest, but Erik ten Hag’s men were brought crashing back to earth by a sobering 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham on Saturday. Another concerning performance and a mounting injury list may have the travelling faithful fearing the worst here, but the Red Devils are rarely eliminated at this stage, progressing from each of their last 13 FA Cup fifth round ties – last losing one in 2005/06.
A first meeting with Forest in this competition since January 1990 should stoke the fire too, as that was the game where Mark Robins famously scored the goal credited with saving Sir Alex Ferguson’s job. With rumours rampant surrounding Ten Hag’s future, perhaps a hero can step up to relieve the pressure on the Dutchman as United look to win a sixth consecutive away match – something they last managed in the Spring of 2019.
Key battle: Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White returned to the scoresheet at the weekend for the first time since netting against Blackpool in the third round, while he also hit the winner in his side’s H2H victory in December. He could be marshalled by the ever-impressive Kobbie Mainoo who has seen both his senior goals arrive on the road, including one in United’s fourth-round victory over Newport.
Hot stat: Across six previous H2H meetings in this competition, none have seen both sides on the scoresheet in the same game.