MY ACCOUNT
– Brentford are struggling to maintain their early-season momentum
– Nottingham Forest are improving after a dreadful start to 2022-23
– Recommended bet: Back the draw
A mini-wobble is becoming a worrying trend for Brentford, whose no-show of a performance against Arsenal in mid-September has led to a concerning dip in form.
Just one win in their last seven games suggests that manager Thomas Frank has plenty of work to do if he is to keep Brentford from slipping down to the relegation scrap.
Rock-bottom Nottingham Forest would happily trade places with their 11th-placed visitors, but after a dreadful start to the season that had Steve Cooper’s side looking nailed-on for an immediate return to the Championship, the Tricky Trees are showing signs of life.
Last weekend’s heavy defeat at Arsenal was a setback, but Cooper will know that it is results in home games against lesser teams that will determine Forest’s fate — and this weekend is another chance to grab another point or three.
Team news
Cooper has four Forest players missing, with long-term absentees Omar Richards, Moussa Niakhate and Jack Colback all still unavailable.
Left-back Harry Toffolo is also unlikely to return before the World Cup after picking up a hamstring injury a fortnight ago.
Frank has several injury concerns mounting up within his Brentford squad and must also do without top-scorer Ivan Toney, who serves a one-match suspension for collecting five yellow cards.
Left-back Aaron Hickey and centre-back Pontus Jansson remain out and are unlikely to be back until after the World Cup and the same is true of reserve goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
Midfielders Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are both rated 50/50, with Norgaard closing in on a return from a ten-week absence and Jensen having to come off with a dead leg last weekend against Wolves.
The stats
Since returning from the matchweek seven suspension to the Premier League, Brentford have won only one of seven games, losing three.
And while they were arguably unfortunate not to turn one point into three at home to both Chelsea and Wolves, on the road they have suffered back-to-back defeats by a four-goal margin, losing 5-1 at Newcastle and 4-0 at Aston Villa.
In fact, the Bees remain winless on the road all season, recording draws at Bournemouth, Leicester and Crystal Palace, while losing at Fulham.
Nottingham Forest have also struggled on the road but seem to be finding their feet at the City Ground.
Their 1-0 victory over Liverpool a fortnight ago was the showpiece result but Forest also drew at home to Aston Villa in their previous home game and were unfortunate to lose 3-2 in both the preceding City Ground outings against Fulham and Bournemouth.
Prediction
Both teams have reason for both concern and optimism ahead of this clash.
Nottingham Forest come into it off the back of an absolute schooling away at Arsenal, but manager Cooper will be drumming it into his players that away trips to Champions League-chasing teams are not going to be the fixtures that make or break their season — it is games such as this one at home to Brentford.
And their City Ground form gives reason for optimism, with Forest stunning Liverpool in their last outing and putting in better performances than a tally of just one point from their previous three home games would suggest.
Brentford looked shell-shocked in their recent 4-0 defeat away at Aston Villa but the match did arrive in unusual circumstances, with Villa and their supporters seemingly on a high after Steven Gerrard’s departure.
But while Frank’s men have not been able to show their best form this season, they have been largely solid, bar the odd slip when everything seems to go wrong.
Their only losses in ten games have come in off-days at Villa Park and Newcastle, plus defeat to league-leaders Arsenal.
Even in the absence of Toney, they will expect to grab a point on Saturday — back the draw, available at 23/10 with LiveScore Bet.
