Brentford vs Nottingham Forest predictions: Goals on the agenda at the Gtech
- Striker Ivan Toney is set to make his return for Brentford
- Over 3.5 goals has landed in four of Nottingham Forest's last five games
- Recommended bet: Over 3.5 Goals
Relegation-threatened pair Brentford and Nottingham Forest go in search of crucial Premier League points on Saturday when they clash at the Gtech Community Stadium.
A run of five league defeats in a row has seen the Bees tumble down to 16th in the standings, just three points above the bottom three, while Forest are only a point and a place ahead of Thomas Frank's side.
Forest have shown improvement since Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as Steve Cooper's successor and they head to west London on a four-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Team news
The big news for Brentford is the availability of striker Ivan Toney, who recently completed his long suspension and will be pushing to make his first appearance of the season.
Yoane Wissa and Frank Onyeka are both competing at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Saman Ghoddos and Ji-soo Kim are also on international duty at the Asian Cup.
Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are both doubts due to knocks, but Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo are all still sidelined. Sergio Reguilon could feature after his loan move from Tottenham was confirmed.
As for Forest, Ibrahim Sangare, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate, Serge Aurier, Willy Boly and Ola Aina are all away at the African Cup of Nations.
Felipe Monteiro, Anthony Elanga and Divock Origi are all major doubts for this contest due to injury. Taiwo Awoniyi is a definite absentee as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
The stats
Brentford have lost their last five Premier League matches and have collected just three points from the last 24 on offer.
The Bees were knocked in the third round of the FA Cup last time out after losing 3-2 to Wolves in a replay, making it the third time in their last four fixtures that over 3.5 goals has landed.
Forest have been one of the most entertaining sides to watch since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge, with four of his five matches at the helm producing over 3.5 goals.
The former Wolves and Tottenham boss has been in the Forest dugout for two away matches, with a 3-1 victory at Newcastle followed by a 3-2 victory at Blackpool in the FA Cup.
Prediction
Both sides know Saturday's fixture is a great chance to stretch the gap to the relegation zone and this could result in an entertaining, high-scoring affair at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have been leaking goals, conceding four against Wolves and three to Palace in their last two league outings, while they have not kept a clean sheet since a 2-0 victory at Chelsea on October 28.
The expected return of Toney should give them an extra edge in attack, but they are still struggling at the back and will likely be exposed by a Forest side in good scoring touch.
Forest have scored two goals or more in each of their five matches under Santo, highlighting the attacking improvement, but they have also conceded 11 times and another end-to-end clash could be on the cards.
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