Burnley welcome Nottingham Forest to Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon for Matchweek Five of the Premier League in a clash between two sides desperate to halt losing runs.
Scott Parker’s side have endured a testing return to the English top flight, slipping to three defeats in their opening four games. Their single win so far keeps them narrowly clear of the relegation zone, separated only by goal difference. They’ve had some tough games though, facing and being defeated by Tottenham as reported by Softfootball, Man Utd and Liverpool respectively.
Their other game saw them take on fellow promoted side, Sunderland, where they came out as 2-0 winners. They’ve averaged a goal a game but have conceded seven times in four games.
Forest, meanwhile, have had a chaotic start of the season. The shock departure of Nuno Espírito Santo and the swift appointment of Ange Postecoglou has unsettled the club. Though they won on their last trip to East Lancashire in 2024 to end a dismal run of only one victory at Turf Moor in the previous 34 years.
The season began on a positive note with a 3-1 triumph over Brentford, followed by a hard-fought draw against Crystal Palace, but results have since unravelled. A heavy loss to West Ham was compounded by successive defeats under Postecoglou, leaving the visitors searching for stability.
Team News
Burnley team news
Burnley will be without the services of Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts and Zeki Amdouni due to ongoing injury issues, while Jacob Bruun Larsen is a doubt due to a knock sustained on international duty.
Lesley Ugochukwu will also be unavailable for selection after receiving a red card in the defeat to Liverpool, meaning Josh Cullen could partner Josh Laurent at the base of midfield.
Further forward, Lyle Foster and Jaidon Anthony have shown promising glimpses during the opening stages of the season and should both start, with Loum Tchaouna and Hannibal Mejbri potentially completing the attacking quartet.
Nottingham Forest team news
Ola Aina and Nicolas Dominguez are both ruled out for Nottingham Forest, while Murillo is also a doubt after sustaining an injury in the defeat to Arsenal.
Nicola Savona could start instead of Murillo, with Morato shifting into a more central area to partner Nikola Milenkovic in the back-two, while Neco Williams will play in the opposite full-back position.
Igor Jesus may be knocking on the door for a first Premier League start after scoring twice in the eventual loss to Swansea in the Carabao Cup, but top scorer and talisman Chris Wood is expected to return as the starting striker. Forest are already gearing up for their visit to Turf Moor as seen on their X handle.
Possible Lineups
Burnley possible starting lineup: Dubravka; Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Cullen, Laurent; Tchaouna, Mejbri, Anthony; Foster
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
SoftFootball’s Prediction
This clash feels like Nottingham Forest will just have a little too much in attack and midfield for Burnley to deal with and the hosts will be forced to come out and have a go, which will leave them vulnerable to Forest’s attackers on the break. With both teams struggling for points but showing enough attacking intent, Ange Postecoglou side may come out with a win or a draw at most.
