Alious
Nottingham Forest are entering the business end of their Premier League campaign with European glory still within reach—and Thursday’s showdown against Brentford could prove pivotal.
Following their disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester City, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men must bounce back fast if they want to keep their Champions League ambitions alive. Currently sitting sixth, Forest could leap into the top four with a win—overtaking heavyweights like Manchester City and Newcastle in the process.
Their task, however, won’t be easy. Brentford have often been a thorn in Forest’s side, with the Reds having won just once in their last seven league encounters with the Bees. That lone victory came earlier this season in a 2-0 triumph at the Gtech Community Stadium—Forest’s first success over Brentford since 2020.
Now, Nuno’s side have the rare opportunity to complete a league double over Brentford for the first time since the 2019/20 Championship campaign, when both clubs were still fighting for top-flight promotion.
Encouragingly for Forest, Brentford’s recent record in midweek games is woeful. According to BBC Sport, the Bees are winless in all 10 of their midweek Premier League matches since the start of last season (three draws, seven losses), and they’ve also lost their only Thursday fixture in the top flight—2-0 to Tottenham in December 2021.
With both form and history on the line, Nuno Espirito Santo could be the key to breaking a five-year hoodoo against Brentford—just when Forest need it most.
Alious
