Nottingham Forest travel to Brentford this afternoon looking to make it three consecutive Premier League wins in a row at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have claimed wins against Manchester United and Aston Villa in the last two matches, pushing them up to fourth in the table.
Late goals from Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga secured the win for the Reds, showcasing their never-say-die attitude under the former Wolves boss.
nikola-milenkovic
However, today’s prospect against Thomas Frank’s side will be a difficult one, with the Bees yet to taste defeat on home soil this season, dropping just two points in the process.
Both sides will be hoping to maintain their impressive starts to the 2024/25 campaign, with the hosts holding the edge in recent clashes in London.
Forest’s record at the Brentford Community Stadium
Brentford only moved to their new stadium back in August 2020, with Forest facing the Bees three times since its opening after multiple years in the top flight whilst the Reds lingered in the second tier.
The first clash came back in the 2020/21 season, drawing 1-1 after Filip Krovinovic cancelled out Ivan Toney’s opener from the penalty spot in the first half.
However, the last two meetings haven’t gone to plan for the East Midlands outfit, losing both games by an aggregate score line of 5-3 following 2-1 and 3-2 defeats.
Brazilian midfielder Danilo will miss the clash in the capital as he continues to recover from his long-term injury, but he has managed to score on both visits to the Gtech, with Nuno undoubtedly wishing he was available this afternoon.
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Chris Wood also scored in the last clash between the two sides, hoping to repeat a similar feat today, and looking to add to his goalscoring tally which has already seen him find the back of the net on ten occasions.
However, if Nuno is to continue the recent run of form, he may have to brutally drop one player who’s started each of the last two matches.
The player who Nuno needs to drop against Brentford
Forest’s backline has been up there with some of the very best in the division, conceding just 19 times - the joint-third-best record in the league after the first 16 matches.
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Neco Williams has featured in each of the last two victories but could find himself back on the bench with Alex Moreno available for selection once again after missing the meeting with parent club Villa last weekend.
The Spaniard has provided stability at left-back in recent months, with Nuno often switching between Williams and Ola Aina in recent times, both unnatural situations for the right-sided players.
However, dropping the Welsh international may seem harsh after his recent displays, with one analyst dubbing him “incredibly reliable” in the absence of Moreno.
Whoever does feature at left-back this afternoon will be tasked with keeping winger Bryan Mbeumo quiet, which could see the loanee have the edge, given his ability to keep Mohamed Salah quiet earlier in the campaign.
How Alex Moreno compares to Neco Williams in the Premier League (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Touches
Passes completed
Tackles won
Interceptions
Take-ons attempted
Stats via FBref
The 31-year-old has also won more tackles per 90 this season, showcasing he has the defensive quality to restrict the Cameroonian international from causing any problems.
It’s another exciting prospect for Nuno’s side this afternoon, chasing another win to help maintain their impressive away form since the start of August.
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However, if the 50-year-old is to secure another three points to maintain their unexpected league standing, he may have to opt for Moreno, offering that added cover to stop the Bees’ dangerman.
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