Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

Seeking a way out of a severe crisis, Premier League underperformers Brentford welcome resurgent Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford’s dire Premier League form took another blow toward the end of 2023, with a dismal 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace condemning them to a seventh defeat in their last eight league outings (W1). As fears over the prospect of being sucked into a dreaded relegation scrap loom larger, manager Thomas Frank must be relieved to welcome his talismanic striker Ivan Toney back from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules. Brentford’s most prolific marksman across the last three campaigns will lead the line for the first time this season as the ‘Bees’ bid to defy their woeful four-match Premier League form at the Gtech Community Stadium (W1, L3). Playing Forest also comes in handy, knowing they’re unbeaten in all three Premier League H2Hs (W1, D2) despite conceding on each occasion.

In the meantime, Nottingham Forest’s renaissance under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo grabbed the headlines at the tail-end of 2023, with the ‘Tricky Trees’ racking up back-to-back Premier League wins against none other than Newcastle United and Manchester United. The West Bridgford outfit netted 2+ goals in both triumphs and maintained their prolific form with a brace of 2-2 FA Cup draws against lower-league Blackpool at the start of 2024. Santo’s side eventually made it out of the third round after a 3-2 extra-time win in the replay, strengthening their character ahead of this trip. They need every encouragement they can get to defy their three-game winless Premier League streak in London (D1, L2), not least because their most recent visit to the capital yielded a 5-0 loss to Fulham.