Brentford will be counting on their strong home form when they host Nottingham Forest, who are still struggling to find their rhythm under Oliver Glasner and are languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Brentford’s strong start has propelled them deep into the race for a European place, but it seems the pressure is getting to them.
The Bees have certainly mastered the art of not losing matches, but they may regret that at least a few of their five draws so far weren’t wins.
During the week, they were knocked out of the EFL Cup following a tough clash with Sunderland, so at least they’ll be able to focus more of their efforts on their main objective in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest find themselves in a familiar position. At the same stage of the season a year ago, they had five points and were near the bottom of the table.
They now have six points and just one win since the start of the season. Looking back a little further, their victory over Aston Villa in September is actually their only win since May.
The big plan over the summer was for Oliver Glasner to lift them out of this mediocrity and make them competitive, just as he did with Crystal Palace, but for the moment there is no sign that this is possible.
How the bookies view it: The Bees will sting
Brentford’s inconsistent form is not enough to alter the bookmakers’ expectations, who are backing a home win.
At the moment, you can also back Brentford at 1/1, whilst Nottingham Forest are available at 13/5. A draw is also an option at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: Completely on a par in recent years
Brentford and Nottingham Forest are now in their fifth consecutive season together in the Premier League, following many years together in the Championship. Since both teams returned to the top flight, they have each recorded three wins and two draws.
Interestingly, the Tricky Trees won both H2Hs last season, with the same fixture at the Brentford Community Stadium ending 2–0.
Players to watch: Thiago knows how to punish the Tricky Trees
Having scored 22 goals in the Premier League last season, Igor Thiago certainly had a slower start to the new campaign, but he seems to be finding his form.
In his last five matches for the team, he has scored two goals and provided two assists. Last season, he scored Brentford’s only goal in the two matches against Nottingham Forest.
Probable line-ups
Brentford: Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Van den Berg, Ajer, Kayode, Janelt, Sangare, Schade, Jensen, Outtara, Thiago
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Murillo, Milenkovic, Cunha, Munoz, Schlager, McAtee, Netz, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Delap
Anything else catch the eye?
Brentford are in a significantly better position than Nottingham Forest, but this is down to their strong start to the season. In their last four matches, however, they have failed to win, and their defence has not been up to scratch.
Nottingham Forest are the team with the fewest goals scored, but they have scored every single one of their goals away from home. That is precisely why they are at the bottom of the table.
Still, playing at the Community Stadium is no easy task, and I expect the Bees to take all three points, though by no more than a one-goal margin.
GambleAware