Week 17 – Brentford vs Forest – Sport Grill

Brentford host top-four chasing Nottingham Forest in a Premier League match-up. 

If Aston Villa and Brighton both lose elsewhere, victory will lift Brentford up to sixth in the table.

Forest can go third with a win before Arsenal play in the early evening.

Team News

Sepp van den Berg and Ethan Pinnock are ruled out for Brentford with respective groin and hamstring injuries, which were suffered in their Carabao Cup exit at Newcastle.

Igor Thiago (joint) is also sidelined for the Bees.

Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry (both knee), Gustavo Nunes (back), Matias Jensen and Aaron Hickey (both hamstring) remain sidelined.

Forest could be without Murillo (knock) and Ryan Yates (ankle) subject to fitness checks.

Alex Moreno meanwhile was ineligible to feature in their comeback win over Aston Villa.

Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) and Danilo (ankle) remain sidelined.

When is Kick-Off?

Brentford host Forest at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 21 December at 3pm GMT, untelevised live in the UK.

Stat Attack

• Brentford are yet to lose to Forest in the Premier League (W2, D2).
• Forest lost both of their two Premier League visits to Brentford (L2).
• Forest’s Danilo scored in each of their two Premier League visits to Brentford.
• Brentford have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 home games in all competitions (W8, D2, L1).
• Forest are winless in their last seven league visits to London-based opposition (D2, L5).

Prediction

After a flat defeat at Newcastle where they didn’t really get going until the second half, Brentford will be happy to be back at home where they score goals for fun and are unbeaten but they need to bring more intensity here.

Forest though are a much tougher team to beat than in their last two visits to London, but were lucky that their end product clicked in late to come from behind to beat Villa last time out.

Nevertheless this will be a competitive clash but given Forest’s away form in London, Brentford might just have the edge.

Prediction: Brentford 2-1 Forest