Bristol City have already bagged a Premier League scalp in this season’s FA Cup and are gearing up for another shock as they prepare to visit Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The Robins, having ousted West Ham in the previous round on their own turf, now face the challenge of overcoming Forest away, following a stalemate at Ashton Gate when Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad visited.
Nottingham Forest, on their part, narrowly escaped elimination from the FA Cup, requiring a replay and extra time to defeat League One’s Blackpool in their last encounter. Despite my expectations for a win within the regular 90 minutes at Bloomfield Road, Forest squandered a 2-0 lead, eventually relying on Chris Wood to clinch the victory in extra time.
For Santo, ensuring Premier League survival remains the paramount goal this season, and a recent hard-fought 1-1 draw at AFC Bournemouth has left them just a whisker above the relegation zone.
This situation might play into Bristol City’s hands as the Championship team seeks to extend their FA Cup journey, although their form has dipped slightly since the triumph over the Hammers.
Following that victory, they recorded three draws before a 1-0 home loss to Leeds last Friday, a result that sees them positioned 14th, seven points shy of the playoff spots. Liam Manning is in dire need of a significant win to reignite their season and will be keen to knock Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup.
Nottingham Forest, with the home-field advantage, is understandably the favourite, quoted at 8/15 by Bet365. Bristol City stands as the underdog at 11/2.
The recent history between these two teams is evenly matched, with four wins each and five draws from their last 13 meetings. The most recent clash at the City Ground in 2022 ended 2-0 in favour of Nottingham Forest.
Key Players Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest’s creative linchpin, is pivotal for breaching Manning’s defence. He’s priced at 3/1 to score his fourth goal of the season, though an assist might be more probable once that market is available.
Tommy Conway, the standout for Bristol City against West Ham, is the one to watch for a goal. The dynamic forward, with eight goals this season, is offered at 4/1 by Bet365 to increase his tally.
Rob Dickie, Bristol City’s defender known for accumulating cards, could be a good bet to receive one again, offered at 9/4 by Bet365 after picking up six yellows and a red this season.
Considering the recent trend, a bet on fewer than 10 corners could be sensible, reflecting the seven corners seen in their last encounter at Ashton Gate, with even odds available at Bet365.
