Match Preview Nottingham Forest vs Brentford United Premier League Game Week 1

Ladbrokes game week one detailed match preview for Nottingham Forest vs Brentford in the Premier League. Stats, odds, predictions, and line-ups for the 14:00 BST kick-off form The City Ground .

Fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

Date: Sunday, 17 August 2025

Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Venue: The City Ground

Nottingham Forest, fresh off a 7th-place finish in 2024/25 (65 points), enter the 2025/26 season with Europa League ambitions. Their pre-season was winless (0-0-3), with losses to Birmingham (1-0) and draws against Fiorentina (0-0) and Al Qadsiah (0-0), failing to score. New signings Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus add attacking flair, but integration remains a challenge. Brentford, after a 10th-place finish (56 points), face a transitional season under new head coach Keith Andrews following Thomas Frank’s departure. Their pre-season showed a win over QPR (0-1) and draws against Gil Vicente (1-1) and Mönchengladbach (2-2), but their squad depth was tested.

At The City Ground, Forest’s home advantage and Morgan Gibbs-White’s creativity (15 assists in 2024/25) could exploit Brentford’s unsettled defense, missing Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Nørgaard. Brentford’s attack, led by Yoane Wissa and Igor Thiago, remains potent, but Forest’s de

Match Prediction: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Brentford

Nottingham Forest’s pre-season was winless (0-0-3), with a 1-0 loss to Birmingham, and goalless draws against Fiorentina and Al Qadsiah, raising concerns about attacking cohesion per X posts. New signings Dan Ndoye, Igor Jesus, and Jair Cunha debuted, with Ibrahim Sangaré impressing in midfield. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side will rely on Gibbs-White and Chris Wood to unlock Brentford’s defense at home, leveraging their 2024/25 scoring form (58 goals, 9th in the league).

Recent Pre-Season Results:

• Draw: 0-0 vs Al Qadsiah (H)

• Draw: 0-0 vs Fiorentina (H)

• Loss: 0-1 vs Birmingham (A)

Brentford’s pre-season was mixed (1-0-2), with a win over QPR (0-1) and draws against Gil Vicente (1-1) and Mönchengladbach (2-2), but their squad depth was tested following the loss of Mbeumo and Nørgaard. New signings Caoimhín Kelleher, Michael Kayode, and Antoni Milambo integrated well, with Yoane Wissa and Igor Thiago scoring. Keith Andrews’ 4-2-3-1 aims to maintain Brentford’s attacking output (66 goals in 2024/25, 5th in the league), but early momentum may be hampered against Forest’s solid backline.

Recent Pre-Season Results:

• Draw: 2-2 vs Mönchengladbach (H)

• Win: 0-1 vs QPR (A)

• Draw: 1-1 vs Gil Vicente (N)

Nottingham Forest and Brentford have had competitive encounters, with each team winning twice and one draw in their last five Premier League meetings. Forest’s home win in 2024 (2-0) contrasts with Brentford’s dominance in their last meeting (2-0 in May 2025), setting up a balanced contest.

Recent Premier League Results

• Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brentford (01 May 2025)

• Brentford 0-2 Nottingham Forest (21 Dec 2024)

• Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest (20 Jan 2024)

• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brentford (01 Oct 2023)

• Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest (29 Apr 2023)

• No major injuries reported for the season opener.

• No injuries have been reported for the current season.

• Line-up: Sels, Aina, Murillo, Milenković, Williams, Yates, Domínguez, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood

Nottingham Forest’s lineup under Nuno Espírito Santo features new signing Dan Ndoye on the right, replacing Anthony Elanga, with Morgan Gibbs-White as the creative hub. Murillo and Nikola Milenković anchor the defence, while Chris Wood leads the line, aiming to exploit Brentford’s transitional defence with pace and direct play.

• Line-up: Kelleher, Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Henry, Henderson, Janelt, Schade, Carvalho, Wissa, Thiago

  Brentford’s lineup under Keith Andrews integrates new signings Caoimhín Kelleher, Michael Kayode, and Jordan Henderson. Yoane Wissa and Igor Thiago lead the attack, with Fábio Carvalho providing creativity. The 4-2-3-1 focuses on quick transitions to counter Forest’s high press.

• Morgan Gibbs-White vs Jordan Henderson: Gibbs-White’s creativity (15 assists in 2024/25) faces Henderson’s experience in midfield.

• Chris Wood vs Nathan Collins: Wood’s physicality and goal-scoring (36 goals in 82 games for Forest) will test Collins’ defensive leadership.

• Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest): His playmaking is crucial for Forest’s attacking output.

• Yoane Wissa (Brentford): His pace and 12 goals in 2024/25 make him a key threat on the counter.

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