Nottingham Forest will host Brentford in the lone Premier League on Sunday. The Tricky Trees suffered a narrow defeat against 10-man Manchester City last time out, while the Bees failed to create a buzz in Wednesday’s EFL Cup loss against Arsenal.
Preview (Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford)
At the Etihad Stadium last Saturday, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland scored goals in the first 14 minutes. It appeared as though Nottingham Forest would take a beating, but Pep Guardiola’s team was unable to extend their lead. Steve Cooper’s team amassed 63% of the possession and nine shots in the second half. They restricted Man City to attempt one goal after the break. If you compare Forest’s current status to their problems last season, it is fair to say that they have had a great start to the 2023–24 campaign. The Tricky Trees have already picked up two wins and one draw in the early going.
After defeating Sheffield United 2-1, Cooper’s team defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to end their away-day problems. Then, after falling behind against Burnley, they rallied to tie 1-1 thanks to a miraculous goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi. He was making his debut. Forest will be hoping for another successful afternoon on Trentside after losing only two of their previous 17 home Premier League games and winning at the City Ground against Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea. The EFL Cup match between Brentford and Arsenal ended in a 1-0 loss for the Bees. Thomas Frank’s team can consider themselves unlucky to have exited in the third round after having 18 shots against the Gunners on Wednesday.
The Bees had a fantastic opening weekend, drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur before thrashing rival Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage. However, they haven’t tasted victory in a regular 90-minute match since then. Their most recent victory coming in a penalty shootout against Newport County. They have also collected just two out of a potential 12 points since overcoming Fulham. The Bees first drew with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace before losing 1-0 at Newcastle United. They lost 3-1 at home to struggling Everton last Saturday. At the beginning of the season, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa appeared to be helping Brentford get by without banned talisman Ivan Toney. Frank’s team has had trouble scoring recently, scoring just one goal in their last three games.
Team News
Nottingham Forest’s homecoming Premier League campaign was marred by injuries. The team currently appears to be much healthier. Brazilian midfielder Danilo and Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares showing signs of ailment right now. Despite this, Cooper is still trying to find his best starting lineup after a second wave of arrivals. They included well-known players like Divock Origi, Anthony Elanga, Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare, and Hudson-Odoi coming to the City Ground during the summer transfer window. Nigerian attacker Taiwo Awoniyi has contributed to 11 goals in his past 11 Premier League games. He will continue to lead the line for the Reds. Their important playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White working behind him.
After starting with five defenders against Man City, Cooper is anticipated to switch to a four-man defense. This means that Joe Worrall and Moussa Niakhate should start at center back. Ola Aina and Serge Aurier manning the full-back positions. Rico Henry, a crucial left back for Brentford, could miss the rest of the season due to an ACL tear, and Kevin Schade, Josh Dasilva, Ben Mee, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Shandon Baptiste are also out of the match on Sunday.
This weekend, Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins will reunite at center back, while 21-year-old Scotland international Aaron Hickey is likely to start at left-back, freeing up Mads Roerslev to play right back for the guests. All indications lean to Nottingham Forest winning on Sunday when you consider their strong home record in the Premier League and Brentford’s erratic performance.
Nottingham Forest 2 – 1 Brentford
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