At first glance, this weekend showdown may not seem like a marquee matchup, however, I see it quite differently as it will most likely be a feast for the eyes. After all, the two sides are evenly matched and the competition is fierce.
Thinking back to last week, I predicted that Nottingham Forest would cause City problems, and even though City ended up taking all three points, Forest's performance certainly made City feel challenged, and even with a man less, they created goal scoring chances.
Obviously, Coach Guba will adjust the starting lineup accordingly to the different environments between home and away. Last week I praised him for his choice of players on the attacking end, with the likes of Herschel O'Doul, Erlanga, Kibiswetter, O'Leary and Ehonir all possessing excellent speed and shooting skills. Although only two players started last week, I expect this Sunday's game to be different with more attackers joining the fray.
As much as I like Forest's frontcourt players, they still have room for improvement on the defensive end. They have only kept one clean sheet so far this season and have allowed their opponents to take advantage of them both home and away. I believe their strong home form will be key to their relegation success. Against an out-of-form Binford side, Forest will dominate and attack on both flanks. Due to the solid middle of Binford's defense and the serious injury to left back Henry Gao, Forest can send Airlanga or Herschen O'Doul to focus on the left side of the attack.
Binford are currently in a slump in form, including a home defeat to Arsenal's reserve side in the EFL Cup, which has undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the team's morale.
Due to injuries and suspensions, they lost some of their key players such as Evan Tony, Bimmi, Viggo Henry, Zushua Daschwar and Dansgat. I think this has dealt a blow to Binford and the team lacks enough bench depth to play the style of play and system that it adheres to.
Meanwhile, Premier League teams are beginning to familiarize themselves with Binford's tactical habits, and the high press of their game is no longer unfamiliar to other Premier League teams.
While I think they can still stay safe this season, coach Frank may need to adjust his style of play soon before it's too late to get stuck in the relegation quagmire.
