Brentford will host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this weekend, looking to end their losing streak in the Premier League.
Brentford are coming into the game against Nottingham Forest on the back of five consecutive defeats in the Premier League. So, the home fans will be expecting a strong reaction from the players here. The Bees have a quality squad, and they will be eager to bounce back strongly.
The much-awaited return of Ivan Toney will certainly help them improve, and Thomas Frank will urge the players to put on a quality performance at home. The Brentford manager has confirmed that the English striker will don the armband against Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are 15th in the league table, and they will look to pile further misery on the home team here. They have picked up two consecutive victories in the league and will be full of confidence and momentum heading into the game.
It remains to be seen whether they can take advantage of Brentford’s vulnerabilities and grind out a positive away result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Brentford
Brentford will be without the services of Christian Norgaard. Meanwhile, Rico Henry is ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Bryan Mbeumo will return in April, as he is suffering from an ankle injury. Aaron Hickey and Joshua Dasilva are ruled out with thigh injuries. Kevin Schade will return to action later this month after recovering from his groin injury.
Yoane Wissa, Saman Ghoddos, and Frank Onyeka are away on international duty. The home team are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Thomas Flekken in goal. Nathan Collins will start in the back three along with Ethan Pinnock and Ben Mee.
Mads Roerslev and January signing Sergio Reguilon will start as the wing-backs here, and they will look to protect the central defenders and help out in the attack. In the middle of the park, Yehor Yarmoliuk will start alongside Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen. Finally, Toney will lead the line for Brentford here along with Neal Maupay.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Flekken, Collins, Pinnock, Mee; Roerslev, Jensen, Yamoliuk, Janelt, Reguilon; Maupay, Toney
Nottingham Forest
Anthony Elanga, Felipe, and Divock Origi are on the sidelines. Players like Ola Aina, Moussa Niakhate, Ibrahim Sangare, Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, and Cheikhou Kouyate are all away on international duty because of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Brentford, with Matt Turner in goal. Gonzalo Montiel and Harry Toffolo will start as the full-backs here. They will look to help out during counter attacks and protect the central defenders. Andrew Omobamidele and Murillo will start at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Danilo in the double pivot. The two players will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for their side. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez will start out wide, and they will look to inject pace and creativity from the flanks.
Morgan Gibbs-White will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create chances in the final third with his creativity, vision and link up play. Finally, Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Brentford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Turner; Montiel, Omobamidele, Murillo, Toffolo; Yates, Danilo; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Wood
Key Stats
- Brentford have lost their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Brentford are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Nottingham Forest.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
- Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions.
- Ivan Toney has scored 32 goals in 66 Premier League appearances for Brentford, netting in each of his last three home games. He’s scored in all three league outings against Nottingham Forest.
Player to Watch
Ivan Toney
The 27-year-old has served his suspension for breaching the FA gambling regulations, and he will return to action this weekend. Toney has proven himself to be a reliable striker in the Premier League, and he will be desperate to make his mark in the second half of the season.
Clubs interested in a summer move will also have an eye on how Toney fares on his return. So, the Brentford striker is our key player to watch out for, and they will lead him to step up if they wants to grind out all three points here.
Prediction
Brentford 2-1 Nottingham forest
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and this is likely to be a close contest. Brentford are struggling with lack of form and confidence right now, but the return of star striker Ivan Toney will certainly boost the spirits around the club.
The English international could make a big difference in the final third for them, and the home side should be able to pick up a narrow win here. The Hard Tackle predicts Brentford to clinch a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.