Match preview: Nottingham Forest at The City Ground
Nottingham Forest welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to The City Ground on 11/02/2026 with home advantage and momentum from a mixed but, at times, encouraging run. Forest sit 17th in the Premier League table after 25 matches, with 26 points collected from seven wins and five draws. Their scorers have only managed 25 goals all season while conceding 38, a sign that home comfort and defensive solidity will be decisive. Recent results show a side capable of hitting peaks — a 4-0 cup-style win against Ferencvárosi and a 2-0 away victory at Brentford — but also vulnerable, as the 3-1 loss to Leeds arrived just days before this fixture. The City Ground, boasting a 30,445 capacity, remains a notable factor when Nottingham need to fight for points.
Wolverhampton Wanderers arrive rooted to the foot of the table in 20th with only one win from 25 matches. Their campaign has been blunt in attack, netting just 16 times while shipping 48 goals, and the formline is poor: two wins in their last ten league outings with five defeats. Wolves’ recent 3-1 reverse to Chelsea reinforced how brittle their defence has become on the road, and their away scoring record — five goals away from home all season — underlines the uphill task they face in Nottingham.
Tactical context and key numbers
This is likely to be a low-scoring scrap where home pressure and the need for points shape the narrative. Nottingham create more shots and dangerous attacks on average than Wolves, and their recent head-to-head in December went Forest’s way with a narrow 1-0 success at Molineux, suggesting they know how to get the job done against this opponent. Both teams have shown a roughly 50/50 split on both teams to score across home and away contexts, but Wolves’ defensive frailty — conceding nearly two goals per game on average — gives Forest the edge to turn pressure into goals.
Prediction and betting tip
Bookmakers make Nottingham Forest clear favourites at 1.69 for the 1X2 market, which is consistent with the statistics: home advantage, superior attacking output, and a head-to-head win earlier in the season. The sensible selection for this fixture is a Nottingham Forest win in the 1X2 market. It balances probability and value given Wolves’ alarming away record and Forest’s need to climb out of the relegation zone.
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Betting suggestion: Back Nottingham Forest to win (1) — 1X2 market — at the available price of 1.69. Stake with discipline; the match carries risk given Forest’s inconsistent form, but the data points clearly favour a home victory.
