Nottingham Forest come into this Premier League opener with real momentum. Their run-in brought three wins, a draw and a defeat — that is a side finishing the season strong, not limping over the line. The City Ground will be rocking for the first game of the campaign, and Forest know a fast start sets the tone for the whole season. They have a settled squad, a clear identity under their coach, and that 4-2-3-1 shape that lets them press high and break quickly. This is not a team that will sit back and hope. They will smell blood against a Leeds side that, for all their quality, are still finding their feet after a summer of change.

Leeds, though, are no pushovers. They ended last season unbeaten in their final five games, and their pre-season has been sharp — a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in midweek, then a ruthless 4-0 dismantling of Augsburg. That front line is firing. But there is a difference between friendly form and the real thing. Leeds have a new goalkeeper in James Trafford, and while that adds quality, it also means a back line still learning each other's voices. Forest will test that early. The history between these two is always frantic, always direct, and this one has all the ingredients for a tight, scrappy, high-tempo affair. Both sides know each other well — they meet again in the EFL Cup just days later — so there will be no surprises. Just a proper football match.