English Premier
2025-09-20 - Burnley vs Nottingham Forest
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 20th September 2025 - Kick Off 3pm
Burnley
Scott Parker will not be able to criticise his players for the effort they have put into the last two Premier League games, but the manager has to remind the squad that they will be rewarded with the same type of effort going forward. For the second game in a row, Burnley conceded a winner deep into injury time against one of the giants of English Football, but the resiliency was largely encouraging.
Despite the defeat, Burnley will be motivated by the start made to the season and they are 17th in the Premier League table with 3 points on the board. The side have a 1-0-1 record at Turf Moor in the Premier League where they have scored 2 goals and conceded 1.
Burnley conceded in injury time for the second League game in a row and the frustration for Scott Parker and the fans is that both goals against Manchester United and Liverpool were the result of Penalties. They had beaten Sunderland and Derby County at Turf Moor before the 0-1 defeat to Liverpool, but the challenge for Parker and his players is to pick up a result against a club that were playing in the Premier League last season as soon as possible.
Lesley Ugochukwu was sent off late in the game against Liverpool and that ultimately cost Burnley- he serves a suspension on Saturday. Jacob Bruun Larsen is a doubt, while Connor Roberts and Jordan Beyer are set to miss out.
Nottingham Forest
You cannot blame Ange Postecoglou considering Nottingham Forest had conceded three goals in the last game played under Nuno Espirito Santo, but doing the same in consecutive fixtures under a manager not known for taking the defensive side of the game as seriously as he should has to be a concern for the fans. The way Nottingham Forest blew the 0-2 lead at Swansea City in the League Cup Third Round on Wednesday will have been something familiar to Tottenham Hotspur fans, even if Postecoglou will point out his team were much the superior on the night.
That Cup exit follows the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal and it all means Nottingham Forest have one less route towards silverware and are 15th in the early Premier League standings with 4 points on the board. The new manager needs a big result soon and he takes his team to the North West with a 0-1-1 away record where Nottingham Forest have scored 1 goal and conceded 4.
Nottingham Forest may have beaten Brentford after a presser in which Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed reports of unrest behind the scenes, but they have not won any of their last 4 in all competitions. Denting the confidence is the fact that Nottingham Forest have lost 3 in a row and conceded three goals in each of those losses to West Ham United, Arsenal and Swansea City. The side have lost consecutive Premier League games by the same 3-0 scoreline.
Murillo is hoping to be available for selection, but will need to prove his fitness having been withdrawn at the Emirates Stadium. Ola Aina was a key player for Nottingham Forest last season, but is expected to miss the remainder of the calendar year.
Head to Head
Two seasons ago, Nottingham Forest took four points from Burnley in the Premier League and the majority were earned in a 1-2 win at Turf Moor.
Burnley had won 3 home games in a row in all competitions against this opponent before that defeat in May 2024.
Prediction
The first reaction to the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo in favour of Ange Postecoglou was the considerable difference in playing style between the two men.
And after the successes that Nottingham Forest had last season playing with a certain style, the fear for the fans is that this huge departure from that style could make it tough for the players to meet the previous standards set.
Back to back defeats under the new manager and six goals conceded is not going to be building up too much confidence in the stands, but Ange Postecoglou has to see the next three weeks ahead of the October international break as a chance to change perceptions.
Nottingham Forest begin their Europa League campaign in that time and also face two newly promoted clubs and this is an opportunity for the manager and the squad to get some rhythm going.
First up is a tough trip to Turf Moor against a Burnley team that have shown plenty of resilience and fight under Scott Parker.
An opening loss to Tottenham Hotspur would have hurt, but this squad has to feel they can compete at this level after pushing Manchester United and Liverpool all the way and being undone by injury time Penalties in both fixtures. Ultimately both have ended in defeat, but there is encouragement if Burnley can just find a way to put a little more balance between defence and attack.
There were moments against Liverpool, but the decision making in the final third was not good enough and Burnley have not really created a lot of chances so far this season. The resilience has to be commended, but most checking the underlying defensive numbers will know that Burnley are giving up some quality goal-scoring chances and Scott Parker will be under some pressure to find the right tactics to help at both ends of the pitch.
Expectations in a game like this one will also be greater than visiting Old Trafford or hosting Liverpool.
Fans may circle games like this one at Turf Moor as fixtures where Burnley need to pick up points and that can also be on the mind of players. Instead of just sitting back and soaking up pressure, Burnley may feel the onus is to get a little more proactive with their attacking stance and that could leave them vulnerable.
There will be some negative headlines about the Nottingham Forest loss at Swansea City, but the reality is that they should have been clear out of sight before the two injury time goals conceded. The home team just found a couple of big time finishes, but Burnley may need something special to earn a positive result too.
Nottingham Forest have won 5 away games played at newly promoted clubs in succession and Ange Postecoglou will believe his team can create the chances to win here. It feels like they should have that quality in the final third to make a difference and backing The Tricky Trees on the Asian Handicap to do so looks the right play, especially with half the stake being returned in the event of a draw.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Burnley 0-2 Nottingham Forest
