This weekend sees two fun teams to watch face off as Nottingham Forest host Luton Town. Both sides play attacking soccer and like to take risks.

Forest was unlucky not to beat Palace last game, with Gibbs-White hitting the crossbar with an amazing lob. Luton also came close to shocking Spurs before losing late.

We think this will be an action-packed match! Forest has tricky players like Gibbs-White and Lingard who can create chances. But Luton is brave and Ogbene's speed on the counter could cause problems.

With these evenly-matched teams, anything could happen in an end-to-end thriller!

Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town

The match will take place on Saturday, 21st October 2023, at The City Ground

Nottingham Forest Come Up Just Short Against Injury-Hit Eagles

Nottingham Forest had some amazing chances to score against Crystal Palace but couldn't put them away. The best one fell to new signing Morgan Gibbs-White who tried an unbelievable lob from way out near midfield over the goalkeeper. But the ball hit the crossbar and bounced out instead of going in! It would have been one of the best goals ever but sadly didn't happen. Forest were left feeling very frustrated that they didn't take those opportunities to score.

Forest's Attack Struggled Without Their Top Scorer

Forest was missing their leading goal scorer Taiwo Awoniyi who was injured. Without him, they didn't look as dangerous up front. Lewis O'Brien worked really hard but Forest's other forwards like Lingard didn't have much impact. In the penalty area Forest just couldn't find that final pass or shot to unlock Palace's defense. You could tell they missed having their main striker Awoniyi to finish off chances.

Midfield Control Slipped Away as The Game Went On

With help from the excellent Ryan Yates, Forest's midfielders like Gibbs-White controlled the early part of the game. But as it wore on they lost their grip on the battle in the middle of the park. Yates was tired after running like crazy all game. So in the second half Palace's midfielders started winning more of the 50/50 balls and Forest couldn't keep possession as well. Their passing wasn't as sharp when they got tired.

A Missed Opportunity Against Palace's Injury Crisis

Crystal Palace had so many injuries that their manager Hodgson was shaking his head and kicking the ground! On another day, Forest could have beaten them with the great chances they created. But not taking those opportunities cost them in the end. Because Palace were missing so many players, Forest will see this as a missed chance to get a valuable win and jump-start their season after a slow beginning.

Luton Almost Shocked League Leaders Spurs

The Luton fans were shocked when their striker Carlton Morris had an open goal but somehow missed from just a few yards out! It would have given Luton a huge early lead. That bad miss set the tone for the rest of the game. Morris was kicking himself after fluffing such a golden chance to score. Luton created several great chances but didn't have the cutting edge to finish them off.

Luton Battled Hard But Couldn't Convert Chances

Manager Rob Edwards had no complaints about Luton's effort. They fought extremely hard from the very first whistle to the last against star-studded Tottenham. Luton asked a lot of questions of Spurs with their high-intensity pressing and rapid attacks. But at the end of the day, they couldn't put away the goalscoring opportunities they crafted. That proved very costly in what was a very even match.

Maddison's Brilliance Won It for Tottenham

Everything was very tight in the game until Spurs' magician James Maddison produced a moment of match-winning quality. He dribbled past multiple Luton defenders with ease before delivering a perfect assist for the goal. When Maddison plays like that there's just no stopping him. Luton just couldn't handle his creativity and skill when it mattered most.

Luton Looked Dangerous But Final Ball Was Lacking

As the match wore on, Luton caused Spurs more problems, especially after going behind. Attackers like Adebayo and Doughty stretched the defense with their pace and dribbling down the wings. But that final pass or shot in the box wasn't good enough. If their end product had been better, Luton could have turned pressure into goals.

No Shame in Pushing League Leaders Close

While disappointed not to get at least a draw, Luton showed they can compete with the best teams on their day. They played with tremendous spirit and bravery against table-topping Spurs. If they bring that same intensity and fearlessness every game, it will help their chances of avoiding relegation this season. Pushing Spurs so close gives them confidence that they belong in the Premier League.

Predicted Lineups

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup: Matt Turner, H. Toffolo, Willy Boly, Murillo, Serge Aurier, I. Sangare, Orel Mangala, N. Dominguez, C. Hudson-Odoi, M. Gibbs-White, Chris Wood.

Luton Town predicted lineup: T. Kaminski, Teden Mengi, Tom Lockyer, Reece Burke, A. Doughty, P. Ruddock Mpanzu, M. Nakamba, Issa Kabore, C. Ogbene, Jacob Brown, C. Morris.

Key Battles

Willy Boly vs Carlton Morris

Forest defender Willy Boly will try to stop Luton's energetic striker Carlton Morris from scoring. Boly uses his strength and positioning to stop forwards, but Morris never stops running and can pounce on any mistakes.

Ryan Yates vs Marvelous Nakamba

This midfield battle sees Forest enforcer Ryan Yates take on Luton's tenacious Marvelous Nakamba. Both love tackling and breaking up opponents' play. Whoever wins this physical duel gains control.

Brennan Johnson vs Reece Burke

Forest's talented dribbler Brennan Johnson faces a tough test against no-nonsense Luton defender Reece Burke. Johnson looks to isolate fullbacks with his quick footwork. But Burke relishes defending powerfully in one-on-one situations.

Conclusion

With two attack-minded teams, I think we'll see an entertaining back-and-forth contest with plenty of goalmouth action. The game would certainly go down to the wire with both sides having their moments but unable to be separated. Whatever happens, this should be a fun game!