Are they feeling the buzz of the new season yet? The English Premier League 2024-25 kicked off with fans worldwide buzzing with excitement. Teams are not just competing; they bring their A-game and showcase awe-inspiring performances. Their drive to prove themselves and capture the championship is nothing short of inspiring. Amidst all this, we are about to witness the first East Midlands derby of the season—a thrilling clash between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. Set your calendars for October 25, 2024, at the legendary King Power Stadium in Leicester for this highly anticipated showdown. The confrontation between Leicester City F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. is commonly called the East Midlands derby, as both teams are situated in the East Midlands region of England. This area encompasses counties such as Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. Leicester City is based in Leicester, Leicestershire, while Nottingham Forest calls Nottingham, Nottinghamshire its home.
It goes back to their first meeting on February 9, 1901, in the FA Cup, where Nottingham Forest grabbed a 5-1 victory against Leicester City at City Ground. Over the years, the rivalry showed numerous memorable moments for Nottingham Forest. The April 21, 1909 match is one of the most notable encounters, where Nottingham Forest secured a 12-0 victory over Leicester, which remains Forest’s record league win. Following the consecutive victories from Nottingham Forest on September 7, 1912, Leicester City won the first East Midlands derby victory over Forest with a score of 3-1. In recent years, the rivalry has continued to thrive. Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City in January 2023 was their most recent win in the fixture, while Leicester’s 4-0 triumph in October 2022 showcased their ability to dominate on home soil. This rich history of the East Midlands derby adds depth and significance to the upcoming match, connecting the present to the legacy of these two teams.
In this Premier League 2023-25, Leicester City F.C. was promoted from their previous top championship position. While Nottingham Forest experienced many ups and downs in the several seasons, they were able to win only nine matches, and the remaining games ended up in nine draws and 20 losses. Despite this underperformance, they narrowly avoided relegation. In this season, eight rounds have been completed. Leicester City F.C. won two, drew three, and lost three matches, and on the other hand, Nottingham Forest had a record of three wins, four draws, and one loss. As the game progresses with more competition, the upcoming single match will be vital for both teams to clinch the championship. In the East Midlands derby, Nottingham Forest is standing ahead in the winning history; let’s wait and see whether Leicester City will create an upset this time at their home.
East Midlands Derby – Event Details
Teams: Leicester City F.C. vs. Nottingham Forest F.C.
Date: October 25, 2024 (Friday)
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET | 12:00 p.m. PT | 12:30 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: King Power Stadium (Leicester)
Leicester City vs. Nottingham Forest H2H Record
The last five head-to-head records of Leicester City and Nottingham Forest are mentioned below.
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score |
| January 14, 2023 | Premier League | Nottingham Forest | 2-0 |
| October 3, 2022 | Premier League | Leicester City | 4-0 |
| February 6, 2022 | FA Cup | Nottingham Forest | 4-1 |
| February 19, 2014 | Championship | Draw | 2-2 |
| November 9, 2013 | Championship | Nottingham Forest | 0-2 |
Nottingham Forest Trophiess
UEFA Champions League: Two wins
UEFA Super Cup: One win
League title: One win
FA Cups: Two wins
League Cups: Four wins
FA Charity Shield: One win
Leicester City Trophies
Premier League: 1 win
FA Cup: 1 win
League Cup: 3 wins
Community Shield: 2 wins
Champions League: 0 wins
UEFA Super Cup: 0 wins
Where to Watch Leicester City F.C. vs. Nottingham Forest F.C.?
United Kingdom: Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD.
United States: fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO, SiriusXM FC.
Canada: fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada.
India: Disney+ Hotstar, JioTV app, Star Sports Select 1.
Prediction
This forthcoming match is the 110th edition of the East Midlands derby between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. In the Premier League 2024-25, Leicester City has had an eventful journey; from their recent promotion to the current battles, they have displayed a mixture of resilience, skill, and determination. Following their automatic promotion to this EPL 2024-25, Leicester City enters this game with ambitions of re-establishing themselves as a formidable force. They started the campaign with a draw against Tottenham. Despite the opponent’s early lead, Leicester City shot the equalizing goal in the second half with Jamie Vardy’s help. In round two, they faced Fulham, which made them suffer their first defeat of the season by a margin of one point. In the first half of the game, Wout Faes blocked the opponent to continue the early lead and ended the first half in 1-1.
However, losing the match, they could not find the net in the second half. Between this EPL tournament, Leicester City is also participating in the EFL Cup, in which they defeated Tranmere with a dominant score of 4-0 thanks to Jordan Ayew, Stephy Mavididi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Harry Winks. Fans expected another dominant gameplay against Aston Villa in the Premier League following this victory. Still, unfortunately, it ended up in the second straight defeat for them with a score of 1-2. However, they drew two matches against Everton and Crystal Palace in the following rounds. Even though they are showing some promising performance on the ground, they have areas for improvement. Their defense is the most pressing issue in their performance, so they must address it to succeed in the remaining fixtures.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest has a mix of challenges and encouraging performance in this journey. Having narrowly avoided relegation in the previous season, they entered the campaign with high hopes of solidifying their top-tier position. In the opening game, they drew the match with Bournemouth with a score of 1-1. Even though Chris Wood’s goal gave them an early lead in the game, the second half’s less defensive performance allowed the opponent to equalize the game in the 86th minute. Further in this campaign, Nottingham Forest concluded the game in draws. They could win in the eight games against Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Southampton. According to their statistics, Nottingham Forest has scored eight goals, six goals conceded, and average possession of 40.7%. When we view their performance, it highlights that they are struggling to balance their offense and defense.
Although only eight rounds have concluded, and their current position is also quite impressive, they can improve their performance to the mark. After their previous escape from relegation, this time, they need to be more careful because once the competition gets more fierce, anything can happen, and every single point can change the team’s destination. After reviewing their past H2H records and recent form, Nottingham Forest has a slight edge in winning this game because they have a solid record on their travels. At the same time, we cannot take Leicester City’s recent comeback performance for granted. The match could go either way, but Nottingham Forest might be slightly favored.
The Pick: Nottingham Forest F.C.
