Key events
Vitor Pereira talks to Sky Sports
[On Forest’s excellent form] I think we’ve been more consistent mentally and tactically. We’ve had more time to work so the players know what we want better than before.
[On picking Igor Jesus and Chris Wood together] We need to score goals. They are two players who work a lot defensively, which means I can play both of them.
Sunderland are a strong team, especially at home – very competitive with quality. We need to treat this like a Champions League game.
“While no one expected Forest to maintain last season’s performance level, it was inconceivable that they would be flirting with relegation by May,” writes Krishnamoothy V. “Did Forest lose it when they parted with Nuno?”
I think they parted with Nuno because they’d lost it. But I really like Vitor Pereira and Forest have looked a top-half side since he took over.
The return fixture at the City Ground helped set the tone for both teams’ seasons.
Read Louise Taylor’s preview
Team news
Sunderland make two changes, both in defence, to the side that lost 4-3 at Villa Park. Dan Ballard and Trai Hume replace Luke O’Nien and Reinildo.
Forest bring in Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus for Murillo, who has a muscle injury, and Dilane Bakwa. Igor Jesus came off the bench at half-time last weekend, with Forest losing at home to Burnley, and scored the final goal in their 4-1 win. The man who scored the first three, Morgan Gibbs-White, will roam from the left.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1) Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki; Rigg, Diarra, Le Fee; Brobbey.
Subs: Ellborg, Cirkin, Reinildo, Geertruida, O’Nien, Talbi, Mayenda, Isidor, H Jones.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1) Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Jair Cunha, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Hutchinson, Igor Jesus, Gibbs-White; Wood.
Subs: Ortega, Morata, Awoniyi, Ndoye, Dominguez, Yates, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa.
Referee Darren England.
Preamble
Friday night, who wants a fight? Not this peaceable Guardianista, that’s for sure, and not Nottingham Forest. They’re trying to escape a relegation fight – and can go a long way towards achieving that if they win at Sunderland tonight.
Forest are 16th in the table, five points clear of Tottenham with five games remaining. This time last year they were fourth, but although the change in Forest’s league position has made things a lot more complicated, their objective is essentially the same: to play Champions League and Premier League football next season.
Forest play both legs of their humdinging Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa in the next fortnight. A positive result at the Stadium of Light would allow them to embrace that without worrying about what’s over their shoulder.
At the start of the season, most people agreed that Forest’s opponents were never going to be in a relegation battle come late April. That’s because Sunderland were supposed to be long gone by now, with only their parachute for company,. An occasionally flat second half of the season should not obscure a remarkable first season back in the Premier League, one of the best by a promoted team in the past decade.
It’s not over yet. Sunderland start the game in 11th but will move up to eighth – above Chelsea, the world club champions – if they win tonight. Who knows, this time next year they might be in a European semi-final themselves.
Kick off 8pm BST.
