Prediction: Nottingham Forest to win 2-0
Best Odds: 8/1
Bookmaker: Zetbet
Nottingham Forest and Brentford will lock horns with each other in the Premier League next weekend. The match between the Reds and the Bees will be held at the City Ground and is scheduled to kick off at 2pm UK time on Sunday.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest are a rising force in English football and did extremely well in the Premier League last season. Nuno’s side ended up as high as seventh in the league table, just a point off their final UEFA Champions League spot, and will feature in the UEFA Europa League in the 2025/26 campaign.
Forest will be aware that it will be tough for the Reds to challenge for the Premier League top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but they are certainly going to give it a go. The Tricky Trees have been busy in the summer transfer window, signing Dan Ndoye, Igor Jesus and Angus Gunn among others.
When asked how he feels pre-season has gone, Forest captain Yates on the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast: “Really good. I can’t believe how quickly it has gone. Every season it seems to go quicker and quicker!
“We have had a really good, positive tour and got some good minutes in the legs for most of the squad. We are ready to go now.
“Portugal was a really positive tour. We got so much good work done there.
“It is tough in pre-season because you want to be fresh going into any game. But sometimes you go in with heavy legs having done harder training sessions.
“It’s all for the greater good however. We will feel the benefits of that throughout the season.”
“We have bonded as a group really well and have got to know the new players,” Yates added. “The first five to 10 games of the season will be the true test.
“From a player’s point of view, it has been positive. We are focusing on each day as it comes and we are looking forward to Brentford.
“This is a totally fresh slate, it doesn’t matter what has gone before now once the new season starts.”
Team News:
Nottingham Forest are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Brentford at the City Ground in the Premier League. Matz Sels will be in goal for the Reds and will have Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic and Neco Williams in front of him in defence. Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez will be the two holding midfielders. Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi will be the three attacking midfielders. Chris Wood will lead the line for Forest.
Brentford
Brentford are a modest club in England, but the Bees have established themselves in the Premier League. Under then-manager Thomas Frank, who is now in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, the London club finished 10th in the Premier League table and will aim higher this time around.
The Bees have a new manager in charge, Keith Andrews, for whom this is his full-time role at a club. The 44-year-old former Republic of Ireland international defensive midfielder was working as a set-piece coach at the Bees before he made the step-up.
Looking ahead to the new season, Andrews, who experienced his first game as Brentford manager at the Gtech Community Stadium against Borussia Monchengladbach, said: “With the little tweaks we’ve made, there is naturally going to be teething problems.
“I’ve loved it since being at this football club so to stand here in the technical area in front of the fans, friends, family – it was a pretty special evening and I really enjoyed it.”
Team News:
Brentford are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the Premier League. Caoimhin Kelleher will be in goal for the Bees. Michael Kayode, Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg and Rico Henry will be the four defenders. Jordan Henderson and Vitaly Janelt will be the two holding players in midfield. Kevin Schade, Fabio Carvalho and Yoane Wissa will be deployed in attacking midfield, with Igor Thiago leading the line for the Bees.
Key Factors to Consider
- Nottingham Forest have won 2 of their last 5 matches against Brentford in the Premier League.
- Brentford have won 2 of their last 5 matches against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest did not win any of their 5 friendly matches in pre-season.
- Nottingham Forest scored only 1 goal in their 5 friendly matches in pre-season.
- Brentford won 1 of their 5 pre-season friendly games, scoring 6 goals in the process.
Conclusion
Nottingham Forest did extremely well in the Premier League last season and almost qualified for the UEFA Champions League. While Brentford have a good team, Forest are at home and have better players. It is very likely that this particular Premier League game will end in a win for the Reds.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest to win 2-0
Best Odds: 8/1
Bookmaker: Zetbet
