The latest matchday in the Premier League concludes on Monday, October 21, with Nottingham Forest hosting Crystal Palace at the City Ground. The next matchday begins with Nottingham Forest facing local rivals Leicester City in an East Midlands derby fixture at the King Power Stadium on Friday, October 25. Confused? You're not alone. It is relatively rare to see Premier League sides play two league games in the space of five days, and even more unusual for that to happen in the same week. And it's definitely odd to see those matches scheduled in between two separate weekends. Yet that is the fate that has befallen Forest, who must navigate two fixtures in quick succession while their manager sits in the stands. The Sporting News explains what's going on.
Forest face Crystal Palace on October 21 and Leicester City on October 25, and it's all because of the TV broadcast schedule. Both of these games were moved from their provisional slot at 3 p.m. BST on a Saturday so that they could be shown on live television, both in the UK and other territories around the world.
The Palace game was originally slated for Saturday, October 19, but was moved when select matches were chosen for live broadcast. This one was picked for the Monday slot. Similarly, the game at Leicester — previously scheduled for Saturday, October 26 — was then picked for a Friday night TV broadcast for this week.
So, while this represents a potentially good week for Forest in terms of international TV exposure, it does rather leave the players at risk of burnout due to the rapid turnaround time. And, what's more, their manager will not be on the sidelines for either of them.
Nottingham Forest's Packed Schedule - TV Broadcasts
Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was handed a two-game touchline ban and fined £55,000 ($71,000) for his outburst at the officials after Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off in the 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Nuno already had a suspended one-game ban, which was activated due to the additional punishment. That means he must sit in the stands for his team's next three league games, which are against Palace, Leicester, and West Ham.
Nottingham Forest have been dealt no favours by the Premier League schedule this week. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are back in top-flight action after the international break and they are in action tonight against Crystal Palace. Forest will welcome Palace to the City Ground but then on Friday, they will be playing again against Leicester, meaning they’ve got two matches in midweek. Espirito Santo won't be happy that that is the case, and he'll be extra frustrated as he's going to play no part in either game because he's banned from the touchline.
Here’s why his side are going to be playing twice in five days…
Nottingham Forest are playing on a Monday and Friday due to TV selections. Both of their upcoming games have been chosen for broadcast having originally been scheduled for 3pm kick-offs on Saturdays.
In an announcement in early August, it was confirmed that Forest’s trip to face East Midlands rivals Leicester was moved. A statement from the Foxes read: “Leicester City’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest has been moved in the latest round of broadcast selections. The fixture at King Power Stadium – initially scheduled for Saturday 26 October – will now be played at 8pm on Friday 25 October, live on Sky Sports.”
And then a few weeks later, Forest’s game against Crystal Palace was switched too. Palace’s statement read similarly: “Crystal Palace’s away game at Nottingham Forest in October has been rescheduled for broadcast. Initially due to take place the preceding Saturday, the fixture will now kick off at 20:00 BST on Monday, 21st October, and will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports.”
So it leaves Forest playing twice in midweek with two Premier League games inside five days. And their manager won't be on the touchline for either of them.
Nuno Espirito Santo's Ban
Boss Espirito Santo has been given a two-match touchline suspension and a £55,000 fine for abuse towards officials. That punishment also activated a suspended touchline ban which means that he will be forced to sit in the stands for three games.
Speaking about the ban, Espirito Santo said: “I'm surprised it's a big sanction but there's nothing we can do. It's not for me to judge, my job is to move forward and make sure the coaching staff are ready to help the team. We had a hearing, everything was normal. The sanction has been decided. Let's go.”
Morgan Gibbs-White has also been handed a one-match suspension, in addition to also paying a £20,000 fine. It means he's missing the Crystal Palace game before returning against Leicester should he have recovered from injury.
On losing Gibbs-White, Espirito Santo added: “It's not nice when you don't have a player available. It's not in the right moment, he's still injured. Hopefully, for the next game, he's going to be available.”
The Impact of a Tight Schedule
The unexpected scheduling of these games could have significant implications for Forest's performance. Playing twice in five days, with a short turnaround time between games, could lead to fatigue and reduced player availability. The absence of their manager Nuno Espirito Santo adds to the team's challenges, particularly given his tactical acumen and ability to motivate players. This condensed schedule, coupled with the manager's absence, could potentially affect the team's overall performance and results.
You can also follow coverage of both of Nottingham Forest's upcoming matches exclusively live on talkSPORT. Tonight, Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace will be live on talkSPORT with coverage presented by Adrian Durham. Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and former England midfielder Danny Murphy. Then on Friday, Hugh Woozencroft will be your host as Matterface is joined by former Chelsea defender Scott Minto on commentary at the King Power Stadium. To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
