Brentford vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

With a gap of 12 positions in the Premier League standings, Brentford is set to face 18th-placed Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium this Saturday, hoping to deepen the woes of Oliver Glasner’s squad.

Nevertheless, this goal is rendered complex by Brentford’s ongoing four-match winless streak prior to their contest against the struggling Forest.

Match overview

As Brentford prepares for matchday nine in the Premier League, they are left pondering how they currently occupy the sixth position in the standings after only securing one win from their past seven league fixtures.

The Bees’ latest victory came with a 3-0 dismantling of West London rivals Chelsea before the international break in late September and early October, which broke a run of three straight draws for Keith Andrews’s side.

However, this derby success has not translated into further wins, as Brentford has managed merely two draws and two defeats in all competitions following the international break, amassing just two points from a possible nine in the Premier League.

During this stretch, their only league defeat, and their only one across the first eight gameweeks, was a 2-1 loss to Liverpool, in which they found themselves down to nine men after taking a lead through Keane Lewis-Potter in the 44th minute.

Although it was understandable to falter against Liverpool considering the circumstances, the tendency to concede leads has defined Brentford’s season thus far: Andrews’s players have scored first in eight of their previous ten matches across competitions but have failed to win five of those.

The five matches in question have all been in the top flight, including four draws against Leeds United (1-1), Sunderland (1-1), Bournemouth (2-2), and Aston Villa (2-2), alongside a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, with this recurring issue hampering the London club’s ability to secure a better position in the Premier League.

Typically, Nottingham Forest would seize the chance to capitalize on Brentford’s lack of focus; however, Glasner’s side has its own set of challenges needing resolution if they wish to enhance their prospects of success.

The Tricky Trees approach this weekend without a win in four league encounters, having suffered three losses and failing to score in two of those outings, highlighting their primary shortcomings.

Glasner’s team has either failed to score or netted only once in six out of their eight league contests this season, a flaw that let them down in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town.

Forest generated superior scoring opportunities against the newly promoted side but were unable to convert the majority of clear chances they created, while Ipswich’s Leif Davis made crucial interventions on the goal line to thwart the Tricky Trees.

A win in Suffolk could have lifted Glasner’s team out of the relegation zone, but instead, they enter Saturday as the joint-lowest scorers aware that they could move up to 13th place if they manage to add to their meager tally of six league goals in West London.

Team News

Vitaly Janelt is expected to return to the Brentford starting XI after serving a one-match suspension against Hull last week, while Yegor Yarmoliuk will continue to be sidelined as he serves a three-match ban resulting from his red card in the loss to Liverpool.

Andrews is facing several injury issues ahead of Saturday’s match: Joshua Dasilva (thigh) and Antoni Milambo (knee) are not anticipated to return until early next month, while Rico Henry (thigh) and Kaye Furo (foot) are expected to be back late next month or at the beginning of December.

With Igor Thiago having netted only once this term, Kevin Schade has taken on much of the offensive responsibility for the Bees by scoring three times leading up to this weekend; both Lewis-Potter and the returning Janelt have two goals each, providing Brentford with additional match-winners if needed.

Only Dan Ndoye has found the back of the net more than once for Forest this season, as the Swiss forward is one of five different scorers for the away side.

While Morgan Gibbs-White has tallied two assists this campaign, the Englishman will aim to deliver the crucial quality necessary this weekend, as will Liam Delap, who has only managed one league goal since arriving from Chelsea.

Nicolas Dominguez may make his return from a muscle injury this weekend, while Nico Williams is also reported to be nearing a comeback after his elbow injury; however, Igor Jesus (calf) and Nicolo Savona (knee) are likely to be absent.

Brentford probable starting XI

Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Sangare; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Igor Thiago

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI

Sales; Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Munoz, McAtee, Schlager, Netz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Delap

Brentford’s continuous failure to safeguard leads offers optimism for Forest, especially considering the visitors made enough chances to overcome Ipswich last weekend.

Nonetheless, the Bees possess more consistent match-winners and should take advantage of their opponents’ lack of cutting precision to break a four-match winless spell.