Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest - Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Nuno Espirito Santo's men look to consolidate top-four spot

Plain and simple, today is huge for Nottingham Forest.

It's the start of a massive run of games in which they face Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two matches following today.

That's as tough of a run as you can really get in the Premier League, don't you think?

I can't believe that I am typing this, but Nottingham Forest still sit third in the Premier League.

If they manage to win today it will give them a huge boost of confidence after two losses in their last three league matches.

It would also take them six points clear of fourth-placed City, who play Liverpool later, and also dent Newcastle's hope of challenging them for Champions League football.

Lose though, and the doubts will really start to creep in.

Whatever happens from here forth, Forest have still had a magical season. But if they want to be serious about getting into Europe they need to win games like these.

Just writing this post has got me excited about today... I'm champing at the bit for this game to get going now.

Still have to wait over an hour, annoyingly...

Eddie Howe, Newcastle manager, speaking on Friday:

The attitude to training is very good. The attitude and hunger is there to put the last performance to bed and put it right. We have very strong characters behind the team. A very strong attitude to represent the club in the right way and I think that is at our heart and is one of our biggest strengths.

Then there is really strong leadership within the player group, they know the expectations that they need to reach. We didn’t do that as a group last week, but there is really strong will to come back and fight back.

Nottingham Forest have been excellent on the road this year; they have a style and a system that is very hard to play against. For us, I want to see a much more vibrant performance, I want to see us attack, be very much ourselves, see our attacking players expressing themselves. Hopefully, returning to our very best.

This past week must have felt like a lifetime for Newcastle fans.

The last time they watched their team take to the pitch they were ripped to shreds like a beef brisket on a hot day in the US.

Now that may sound good because let's face it, brisket is heaven for meat-eaters. I love it.

But it was more like hell for the Geordies at the Etihad eight days ago. Omar Marmoush brutally smashed three past them before James McAtee compounded the beating late on.

Newcastle barely even had a kick, other than a couple of chances, they just let City walk all over them. Hence why the champions probably had a false sense of security before getting smashed by Real Madrid in midweek.

It was the Magpies' third league defeat in their past four matches as their scintillating start to the year has well and truly come to a stop.

They seriously need to kickstart it again today against a Nottingham Forest side who have faltered themselves recently.

With Liverpool at Anfield looming for Newcastle in midweek, this is a must-win for Eddie Howe's side.

Can they bounce back with all three points?

All eyes on the team news in 10 minutes. I’m told Sandro Tonali will be subject of a late call, and will Eddie Howe swap his goalkeepers? There is word he was giving it serious thought this week.

I'm just about recovering from yesterday's action, it was a crazy day.

Well, it's either that or the 5km tempo run I did this morning...

Saturday was a good day to be an away team in the Premier League, five of the seven matches were won by visiting sides.

One of those was West Ham who started some huge celebrations up in Liverpool with their result.

That may seem strange, but it's because the Hammers upset the apple cart by beating the league leaders' title rivals, Arsenal.

Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game while Myles Lewis-Skelly mounted more misery on Mikel Arteta's side by getting himself sent off.

I mean, Arsenal could have gone another 90 minutes without scoring, they never looked like hitting the back of the net. No surprise when you start a deep-lying midfielder as your striker, is it?

Anyway, elsewhere Manchester United mounted a comeback out of nowhere to secure a point at Everton after going 2-0 down in the first half.

Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte got the goals for United, but it nearly didn't matter when the Toffees were awarded a penalty when Matthijs de Ligt hauled Ashley Young to the floor in stoppage time.

But to pretty much everybody's surprise, VAR intervened and Andy Madley overturned the decision after watching it on the monitor. I have watched the incident 20 times at least and still don't know how the penalty wasn't given.

There was also a comeback win for Aston Villa over struggling Chelsea, while Wolves, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, and Brighton all won on the road.

All caught up now? I hope so.

Oh, we have a cracking afternoon of footie in store for you today.

The only bad thing about it right now is that as I sit here there is rain lashing against my windows. A far cry from the beautiful weather we had yesterday.

But this isn't the Weather Channel, you haven't come here to read me moan about what colour the sky is.

What you have come here for is a Champions League spot six-pointer between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

If you told me at the start of the season that this would be a game that has the potential to shape how the race for the top four ends, I would have laughed.

Well, it is. Both of these sides may have hit some shaky form of late but are very much in the hunt for European football next season.

It's the perfect game to set up what is a monster clash between Manchester City and Liverpool later.

It's also a Sunday, so go get yourself a cuppa and a biscuit, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Let's get cracking, shall we?