Sunderland and Nottingham Forest clash at the Stadium of Light on Friday on matchday 34 of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
The Black Cats remain in the fight for European qualification, while the Tricky Trees are battling for their top-flight survival.
Match preview
Sunderland have enjoyed a stunning first season back in the English top-flight since their relegation in 2016-17, with the Black Cats battling for a surprise European qualification heading into the final weeks of the term.
Regis Le Bris‘ side have picked up 12 wins, 10 draws and suffered 11 defeats in 33 Premier League fixtures, leaving them 11th in the standings with 46 points.
Consequently, Sunderland trial sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion by just four points, while the Black Cats also have a game in hand on the Seagulls, meaning they could cut that gap to just one point with a win.
Le Bris’ men are, however, battling with numerous other teams for a European spot, with 14th and sixth separated by just eight points, meaning a winning end to the season is likely required to book their spot in a continental competition.
Following the devastation of their dramatic 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, conceding a 93rd-minute winner from Tammy Abraham, Sunderland will be eager to bounce back and claim all three points.
The Black Cats will fancy their chances as they return to their home ground, where they have won eight, drawn five and lost only three league games, although they have triumphed in just one of their last four matches at the Stadium of Light.
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Nottingham Forest also head into the encounter in formidable form, with the Tricky Trees winning four and drawing three of their last seven matches across all competitions.
Alongside booking their place in the Europa League semi-finals, where they will face fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, Forest have significantly strengthened their survival hopes during that run of results.
Vitor Pereira‘s side have won two and drawn three of their last five Premier League fixtures, including an emphatic 3-0 win over relegation rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
As a result, the Tricky Trees have climbed to 16th in the table with 36 points, giving them a healthy five-point cushion over 18th-placed Spurs with just five games remaining.
However, a tough end to the campaign will see Forest face Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Bournemouth.
Pereira will be eager for his side to maintain their current form throughout that run to give themselves the best chance of survival, starting by picking up crucial points against the Black Cats on Friday.
Nottingham Forest may have lost each of their last two clashes with Sunderland, but the Tricky Trees were triumphant in their last visit to the Stadium of Light in 2017, securing a 1-0 win thanks to a Daryl Murphy strike.
Sunderland Premier League form:
Sunderland form (all competitions):
Nottingham Forest Premier League form:
Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago / IMAGO / Every Second Media
Sunderland will be without Omar Alderete, Simon Moore and Romaine Mundle for this game, while Jocelin Ta Bi, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo are also doubts due to injury.
Trai Hume replaced the injured Alderete and scored in their late defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, and the full-back could start alongside Dan Ballard, Luke O’Nien and Nordi Mukiele on Friday.
Further forward, Brian Brobbey is Sunderland’s top scorer with six Premier League goals, and the forward is expected to lead the line at the Stadium of Light.
Nottingham Forest also have several injury issues, including Murillo, Dan Ndoye, Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona, John Victor and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Pereira may opt to name a largely unchanged side to the one that started in the fantastic 4-1 victory against Burnley last weekend, including hat-trick hero Morgan Gibbs-White.
One change could see Igor Jesus come back into the starting side, after the striker added a late fourth from the bench in that win.
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Roefs; Mukiele, O’Nien, Ballard, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki; Rigg, Diarra, Le Fee; Brobbey
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Jair, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Bakwa, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Jesus
We say: Sunderland 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Sunderland have been formidable at the Stadium of Light, while Nottingham Forest are in fantastic form heading into the game, leading us to expect a hard-fought encounter that we predict will end all square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.