Brentford host Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, looking to bounce back to winning ways.
Brentford are 11th in the Premier League standings, and they will look to get back into the top half when they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are in impressive form right now, and they are coming into this game on the back of three wins from their last four Premier League outings. However, the Tricky Trees are winless in their last six meetings with Brentford, and the visitors will look to make amends here.
The away side will feel that they are in impressive form right now and that this is a golden opportunity for them to grind out an away win. Meanwhile, both teams have looked vulnerable at the back, and they will need to improve defensively if they want to succeed this season. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Brentford will be without Joshua Dasilva due to a knee injury, Sepp van den Berg due to a groin injury, Gustavo Nunes due to a back injury, Rico Henry due to a knee injury, Aaron Hickey due to a thigh injury, Mathias Jensen because of a thigh injury, Ethan Pinnock with a thigh injury and Kristoffer Ajer because of an ankle injury.
The home side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mark Flekken in goal. Mads Roerslev and Keane Lewis-Potter will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things compact at the back and hit Nottingham Forest on the break. Nathan Collins will start in the central defensive pairing alongside Ben Mee.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt will start in the middle of the park alongside Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard. Janelt and Norgaard will add defensive cover to the side, while Damsgaard will add creativity. Kevin Schade will lead the line for Brentford against Nottingham Forest, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Mee, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Schade, Wissa
Nottingham Forest
Danilo is ruled out with a long-term ankle injury, while Ibrahim Sangare is out with a thigh issues. Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Brentford, with Matz Sels in goal.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina will start as the full-backs. They will look to add defensive cover to the side and help out during counter-attacking situations. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot, and they will look to add defensive cover and control to the side. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair. Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity in the final third, with Chris Wood leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
- Brentford have conceded at least two goals in eight of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest are winless in their last six meetings against Brentford.
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Both teams have lost three of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Chris Wood has scored 21 goals in 32 Premier League appearances under Nuno Espirito Santo, including 13 in 16 away games.
Player to Watch
Bryan Mbeumo
The Brentford attacker is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to make a defining impact in the final third with his goal-scoring ability and creativity. Brentford will need him to open up the away side’s defence, and it will be interesting to see if Mbeumo can step up and deliver a strong performance here.
Meanwhile, the Cameroonian international has scored eight goals and set up two in his last eight Premier League home appearances. So, Mbeumo will be the go-to man for Thomas Frank when Brentford host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Prediction
Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Nottingham Forest are in better form right now, and they will certainly fancy their chances of getting something out of this contest.
Brentford will look to bounce back strongly, and they are likely to put up a fight here. Neither side is particularly good at the back, and their backlines are likely to let them down. Both sides are likely to get on the score sheet here and they could end up cancelling each other out. A draw seems like the most probable result here.