Brentford vs. Nottingham Forest: Preview, Odds, Predictions (April 29)
Initial Thoughts
Brentford’s Gtech Community stadium has been a fortress this season, but Nottingham Forest will seek a second successive league upset in their bid to beat the drop.
The Narrative
After spending 14 weeks in the drop zone before the World Cup break, Nottingham Forest looked to have turned a corner at the start of 2023 when Steve Cooper’s side put together an impressive five game unbeaten run in the league in January.
After a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day, the Foresters picked up wins against fellow strugglers Leicester and Southampton before sharing the points away in a closely fought game away to Bournemouth.
That mid-season resurgence proved short-lived however, with Forest failing to find a win in any of their next 11 matches - a run culminating in four straight defeats and leaving Cooper’s side second from bottom in the Premier League table.
But last weekend a glimmer of hope returned, when the Midland’s club secured a shock 3-1 victory over high-flying Brighton.
That win saw Forest rise out of the relegation zone and now just one point above 18th placed Leicester City with five games left to play.
Brentford have been in the top half of the Premiership table since November last year, with Thomas Frank’s side losing only a single match in 16 league games between October and March.
That run had seen the Bees rise to 7th place and the cusp of European football next year, but April has been a tricky month for the north London side. Brentford kicked off the month with three straight losses against Man United, Newcastle and Wolves - racking their first consecutive defeats of the campaign.
Frank’s side have bounced back in their last two outings though, sharing the points at home against Unai Emery’s resurgent Aston Villa, and then heaping more misery on Frank Lampard with a 2-0 win away to Chelsea earlier this week.
Nuts and Bolts
Forest’s victory over Brighton in midweek will give them a much needed boost heading into Saturday’s matchup. But Steve Cooper’s side face a massive test at the Gtech Community Stadium
Brentford have lost only twice in 16 matches in front of their home fans this season, while Forest have the worst away record in English football this campaign.
The positives for Cooper’s side here are that the Bees have picked up only a single home win in their last five matches, and fellow relegation strugglers Leicester City ground out a 1-1 draw at the Gtech last month.
The two teams shared the points in a close 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Can Forest pull off another upset here and get at least another point on the board?
Homestand Picks
All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets
Nottingham Forest or tie (+128)
No one expected Forest to beat Brighton last week, and we’re backing Cooper’s side to ride that momentum into this matchup.
Both sides received two bookings last time these sides met, and the Bees have picked up five bookings in their last two matches.
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