BBC pundit and former footballer Chris Sutton anticipates that Manchester United will require penalties to overcome Nottingham Forest in their upcoming FA Cup clash. The fixture between the two teams is set to take place at the City Ground in the fifth round on Wednesday, February 28.
Nottingham Forest enters the match on the back of a relatively average run of form, having secured only two victories in their last eight matches, with two draws and four losses. Their most recent outing saw them suffer a 4-2 defeat away to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s impressive start to the year, marked by six wins and a draw in seven matches across various competitions, was halted over the weekend. Erik ten Hag’s side endured a 2-1 loss to Fulham at Old Trafford.
Considering United’s recent performance, Sutton expresses uncertainty about their ability to defeat Forest within regular playing time on Wednesday. He predicts a 1-1 draw after extra-time, with United ultimately prevailing in the penalty shootout. In his column for the BBC, the former Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers wrote:
“When it comes to predictions, Manchester United are my new Chelsea – I get all their results wrong. I honestly don’t know what to expect from Erik ten Hag’s side. Even when they were on a winning run, they were not controlling games.”
Sutton also highlights the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, who is sidelined due to a muscle injury, as a potential setback for United:
“Nottingham Forest beat United at the City Ground at the end of December, and they have still got a goal or two in them although their league form since then has not been great. In contrast, United offered little against Fulham without the injured Rasmus Hojlund to lead their line. I put Marcus Rashford in my Fantasy team, and he barely had a kick.”
“United are good on the counter, but they need someone to finish their chances, and Hojlund is such a big miss. This tie feels like it going to be very close, and it could go the distance, but I think United will find a way to edge it.”
