Nottingham Forest take five-point start to Ipswich with goals still scarce

Nottingham Forest travel to Ipswich Town on Friday evening with five points and five goals from seven Premier LeaguePremier LeagueEngland matches, the lowest goals total in the division. Oliver Glasner takes that record to Portman Road for an 8pm BST kick-off in Forest's eighth fixture of the campaign, with his attack the part of the team under most examination.

The parallel with last season is uncomfortable. After seven games a year ago Forest had the same five points and the same five goals, and their eighth match was a 3-0 home defeat by ChelseaChelseaEngland, a result understood to have ended Ange Postecoglou's tenure. He was the second of four managers the club used that season. There is no suggestion that Glasner is under comparable scrutiny, but the scoring problem is now his to fix.

2025/26

Season 2025/26

Where Forest's goals should come from

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Liam Delap is the forward most likely to change the numbers. Twelve of his 14 career Premier League goals were scored for Ipswich, six of them at Portman Road, and Friday's fixture returns him to the ground where that record was built. Glasner's task is less about finding a finisher than about putting one in the right places.

"What we need to improve is getting [Delap] into more positions where he can score," Glasner said before the game. "He's one of our best finishers." The comment locates the problem in supply and positioning rather than in finishing, which is where Forest's difficulty has sat for most of the campaign so far.

Gibbs-White available for Portman Road

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Morgan Gibbs-White is available after missing the narrow defeat by ArsenalArsenalPremier League · England, giving Glasner a creative option he did not have for that match. Whether one returning player is enough against a side that scores from all over the pitch is the question the evening will settle.

Ipswich share the scoring

Ipswich have spread their goals unusually widely. Eight different players have scored for Gary O'Neil's team in seven games, a spread only Brighton and Brentford have bettered this season. O'Neil does not have a standout scorer either, but the load is being shared rather than concentrated, which is precisely what Forest have not managed.

What is not yet known

Forest have not said whether Delap will start at Portman Road, and Glasner offered no detail beyond his general point about positioning. Gibbs-White's availability is established; his likely role and the minutes he can offer are not. Ipswich have not confirmed their own team news, and neither club has addressed the comparison with last season publicly.

The Forest match opens the weekend's Premier League schedule. Aston Villa host Manchester CityManchester CityPremier League · England at 12.30pm on Saturday, Arsenal meet Everton at 3pm and Coventry face Fulham at 3pm. For Glasner the relevant number remains five goals in seven games, and the question is whether a striker with six Premier League goals at Portman Road can add to it.