Nottingham Forest are all set to kick off their English Premier League 2026/27 season on August 22, as the Reds take on Leeds United at their home ground, the City Ground. For their new head coach, Oliver Glasner, it’s possibly the best way to kick off the new season in front of the passionate Forest fans.
Glasner has taken charge of the club after a successful 2025/26 season from a managerial perspective. Under him, although Crystal Palace finished 15th in the Premier League 2025/26 points table, he guided the Eagles to their first-ever European trophy, winning the UEFA Conference League. Before that, in the 2024/25 season, he led Palace to a 12th-place finish in the league and their first major trophy in the history of the club, winning the FA Cup.
Hence, for a club like Forest, who went from finishing seventh in the league and securing historic European qualification in 2024/25 to just surviving relegation from the top flight, finishing 16th in the league last season while being knocked out in the semi-finals of the Europa League, it seems to be a fresh start for the club under Glasner.
For Leeds, they also finished in the second half of the points table last season, finishing 14th. Despite a slow start, they suffered only five losses in their last 25 league games last season, which helped them comfortably avoid the relegation scare. Now, with a few new signings, head coach Daniel Farke will also aim for a winning start, although it will be an away fixture.
However, in Premier League history so far, it has been a closely contested rivalry. In 14 games, Forest have won six, Leeds have won five, while three games have ended in draws. Even in the last league season, it was all square between them. Forest won the home fixture 3-1, while Leeds replicated the same scoreline at home against the Reds.
Team News
Nottingham Forest
Speaking about their preparation for the new season, Forest have played nine friendlies. Among them, they won five while losing to Sporting CP (4-1), Udinese (1-0) and FC Barcelona (1-0), along with their only draw against Vitoria SC (1-1).
But heading into their league opener, Glasner’s headache might be the lack of full match fitness among several players. Ryan Yates might struggle to feature in this upcoming game, while the new signing from Sporting CP, Ousmane Diomande, is reportedly still working his way towards full match sharpness.
Leeds United
For Farke as well, players like Gabriel Gudmundsson (hamstring), Wilfried Gnonto (hamstring) and Ilia Gruev (knee) are most likely to miss their league opener at the City Ground.
Speaking of their pre-season form, Leeds played six friendlies and won four, including a 4-2 win over Liverpool. Even against Manchester United, they held a 1-1 draw before losing on penalties.
Likely Lineups
Nottingham Forest
Matz Sels; Neco Williams, Morato, Murillo, Nikola Milenković; Ibrahim Sangaré, James McAtee; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye; Igor Jesus
Leeds United
James Trafford; Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, James Justin; Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach; Harry Wilson, Brenden Aaronson, Noah Okafor; Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Key Players
Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White
All eyes will be on their star, 26-year-old attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The 2025/26 season was his personal best Premier League season, as he scored 15 goals along with four assists. Undoubtedly, he was the highest goalscorer for the Reds, but overall, he was also the joint-fifth-highest goalscorer in the league.
Though his primary role has always been to string forward passes and create more goalscoring chances for the forwards, his ability to step up and score goals in crunch situations makes him a class apart.
Leeds United – Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Leeds’ star striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, will be the key player for the side in this upcoming season. The 2025/26 season was his second-best Premier League season personally, as he scored 14 goals along with one assist. Overall, he was also the joint-sixth-highest goalscorer in the league.
So, heading into the new season, the 29-year-old veteran striker will be key to Leeds’ fortunes.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Nottingham Forest will host Leeds at the City Ground.
What time is kick-off?
The game is scheduled for 3:00 PM BST on Saturday.
How can I watch?
Unfortunately, due to the domestic blackout rules, there will be no live television broadcast of this game in the UK, but local broadcasters around the world might be televising the match.
