Newcastle United VS Nottingham Forest live preview Premier League

Just four days removed from a heartbreaking exit in the EFL Cup quarter-finals against Chelsea, the former Champions League contenders faced another setback as an old adversary, Andros Townsend, secured Luton's victory with a 25th-minute header at Kenilworth Road. The emotional afternoon, compounded by the absence of Tom Lockyer, witnessed Newcastle's woes despite their 65% possession. Despite their efforts, an Alexander Isak equalizer was disallowed for the narrowest of offsides. The recent trend reveals five losses in six games for the hosts on Tuesday, now relegated to seventh place in the standings following West Ham United's 2-0 triumph over Manchester United.Looking ahead, a challenging visit to Liverpool on January 1 looms for the Magpies, potentially putting a damper on their New Year celebrations. However, there is consolation for Howe's squad in the observation that four of their recent five losses occurred away from St James' Park. Notably, their dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Fulham on December 16 solidified their impressive home record, boasting a seven-game winning streak in the Premier League. During this remarkable run, they have maintained six clean sheets and conceded only one goal. Despite this home success, it's worth noting that Newcastle holds an unfortunate record in English league history, having suffered defeat on Boxing Day 46 times, more than any other team.

While the City Ground continued to hold affection for the recently unemployed Steve Cooper, the arrival of Santo was met with warm applause from Nottingham Forest fans. However, the pre-game optimism among the supporters morphed into post-game outrage following a captivating and controversial five-goal thriller.Boos echoed through the stadium at halftime, directed at referee Rob Jones, whose decision to send Willy Boly off for two bookable offenses raised significant questions. Despite the adversity, Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga appeared to have salvaged a point for the 10-man Tricky Trees on that Saturday afternoon.Nevertheless, as five minutes of added time ticked away, Bournemouth's sharpshooter Dominic Solanke, already with two goals to his credit, completed a stunning hat-trick with a remarkable header. This ensured another three-point triumph for the resurgent visitors in the most dramatic of circumstances.Santo couldn't conceal his frustration at the controversial decision to send off Boly, as Forest endured a sixth defeat in seven games. This leaves the Garibaldi in 17th place, just two points above the relegation zone, having played a game more than Luton. The Portuguese manager's immediate challenge is to break a six-match winless streak on the road.