Nottingham Forest vs Brentford - Premier League: Team news, lineups & prediction
Nottingham Forest welcome Brentford to the City Ground in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The resilient streak Steve Cooper had been fostering at Forest - earning their first consecutive top-flight clean sheets since 1997 - was remorselessly sliced apart by a rampant Arsenal side on Sunday.
Brentford don't travel to the division's bottom club in great form themselves. Thomas Frank's side have earned just one win from their last seven matches, including a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to struggling Wolves last Saturday.
Here's everything you need to know about the meeting between this stuttering duo.
Where are Nottingham Forest vs Brentford playing?
- Location: Nottingham, England
- Stadium: The City Ground
- Date: Saturday 5 November
- Kick-off Time: 15:00 GMT / 11:00 EST / 08:00 PST
- VAR: Lee Mason
- Referee: Andre Marriner
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Nottingham Forest: 3 Wins
Brentford: 1 Win
Draws: 1
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Nottingham Forest: DLDWL
Brentford: LWDLD
Nottingham Forest team news
Summer arrivals Moussa Niakhate (thigh) and Omar Richards (leg) are in the midst of their respective recoveries. Jack Colback has struggled with a lower back problem since a bout of illness sidelined him earlier in the campaign.
Harry Toffolo isn't expected to imminently return from a hamstring injury after Cooper confirmed it "will rule him out for a little while".
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Brentford
Nottingham Forest Starting 11 (4-3-3): Henderson; Aurier, Cook, McKenna, Lodi; Yates, Freuler, Kouyate; Johnson, Awoniyi, Gibbs-White.
Bench: Hennessey, Worrall, Mangala, Williams, O'Brien, Surridge, Lingard, Dennis, Boly.
Brentford team news
Frank has lost his top scorer Ivan Toney to suspension after the forward collected his fifth yellow card of the season against Wolves - Toney has scored as many goals as the entire Forest squad combined (eight) this season.
Christian Norgaard is poised to make his return to midfield - and just in time, given Mathias Jensen was forced off in the first half of last weekend's draw with a thigh problem.
Aaron Hickey (ankle), Pontus Jansson (thigh) and Thomas Strakosha (ankle) aren't expected back before the midseason World Cup-enforced hiatus.
Brentford predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest
Brentford Starting 11 (4-3-3): Raya; Ajer, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Dasilva, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter.
Bench: Cox, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Canos, Damsgaard, Roerslev, Yarmoliuk, Baptiste.
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford score prediction
While the humbling 5-0 loss last weekend may sting, Forest are a completely different side on home soil; seven of the nine points Cooper's side have earned this term have come in front of an invariably thumping City Ground.
Brentford, by comparison, are yet to win on the road in the Premier League this season. Since rattling five goals past Leeds in September, the Bees have scored just four in their subsequent seven matches at any venue.
Stripped of the talismanic Toney, the increasingly blunt Bees may be stymied away from home once again.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Brentford