Can City Ground be a fortress for Nottingham Forest?

It has been 23 years since the City Ground has hosted Premier League football, but Nottingham Forest's exile from the top flight has ended, bringing elite action back to the old stadium. The City Ground was built in 1898 and has witnessed groundbreaking moments in its history, none more so than Forest's rise to the top of English football under Brian Clough, winning the title in the 1977/78 season before securing back-to-back European crowns. Since then Forest have endured a rough period of decline, which began with their relegation from the Premier League in 1999.

Forest have spent the majority of their time out of the Premier League in the Championship, although they did fall into League One for three seasons. Steve Cooper's brilliance in the dugout has restored Forest back into the Premier League after overcoming Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final. However, the club faces a challenge to remain there being backed at -120 in the odds for online sports betting Canada to be relegated at the first attempt. The Midlands outfit have made moves to strengthen their team, spending a significant amount of funds on players from Europe, including Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhate and Omar Richards. But whether it will be enough remains to be seen.

The City Ground and the Forest faithful will be crucial in aiding Cooper and his team in their bid for safety. Given the fact that the City Ground is an older stadium compared to many of its contemporaries in the Premier League, the home fans will be a lot closer to the action and make it a hostile atmosphere for opposing teams to visit. The fact that the City Ground has a 30,000 capacity tightly penned into a space can ensure that Forest fans can provide a cauldron of noise for their team, which could make all the difference in a tight battle at the bottom.

It is no surprise to see that two of the clubs relegated from the Premier League last season both struggled at home. Norwich mustered 12 of their 22 points at Carrow Road, winning only three of their 19 home matches. It was nowhere near good enough and, once again, the Canaries took the plunge to the Championship. Watford managed to be even worse on home soil at Vicarge Road, claiming only eight points and registering only two victories at home. It left the Hornets with a mountain to climb on the road and ended their return to the Premier League after only one season.

Brentford on the other hand were effective at Brentford Community Stadium, winning seven of their home games and drawing another three, taking 24 points. That is the model that Forest have to follow, earning a massive chunk of the 40-point benchmark to avoid the drop at home, easing the burden on away matches. Cooper's men were not that effective at home last season, finishing with 43 points, while earning another 37 on the road. Cooper has to address that fundamental issue early in the season and use the home-field advantage to accumulate the points that Forest require to ensure that the City Ground remains a Premier League venue.