Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Out to snap a six-game winless run in the Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion travel north to take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls were held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United last time out, while the Tricky Trees went down 3-2 to West Ham United before the international break.
Match preview
© Reuters
Facing two Claret-clad teams in the space of two Premier League gameweeks, Nottingham Forest travelled to West Ham’s London Stadium on cloud nine owing to their surprise beating of Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, but they were swiftly brought crashing back down to earth.
The deadly duo of Taiwo Awoniyi and Anthony Elanga had spared Nicolas Dominguez‘s blushes after the midfielder’s cheap giveaway allowed Lucas Paqueta to break the deadlock, but Forest evidently did not brush up on James Ward-Prowse‘s set-piece specialities, as two corners from the Englishman met the heads of Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek to complete a thrilling Hammers turnaround.
Cooper was left to bemoan his side’s poor start and Dominguez’s calamitous error as Forest missed the chance to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time this season, meaning that the Tricky Trees are sitting in an unspectacular 14th position after 12 matches.
Nevertheless, the hosts possess a healthy eight-point advantage over Luton Town in 18th place and are just three points adrift of a spot in the top half of the rankings, although improving on a record of just one win from their last eight games must be the priority before the Tricky Trees can dream of sneaking into the single figures.
The City Ground does not often prove to be a happy hunting ground for visiting sides, though, as Forest’s beating of Aston Villa earlier this month extended their unbeaten home run in the top flight to eight games, and they could now go unbeaten in their first five home league matches of a Premier League campaign for only the second time, previously achieving that feat in 1995.
© Reuters
While Nottingham Forest have an unbeaten streak to protect, Brighton have a winless run to correct, as the Seagulls were once again made to pay for failing to convert their dominance into more than just the one goal during the visit of Sheffield United to the Amex two weekends ago.
Simon Adingra started and finished a sublime sixth-minute move to propel Roberto De Zerbi‘s side into the ascendancy, but only a few moments after Mahmoud Dahoud was banished from the field, Adam Webster stuck out a leg to try to cut out Jayden Bogle‘s cross but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net.
After benefitting from an own goal against Everton, Brighton were given a taste of their own medicine on the South Coast as they played out a third successive 1-1 draw in the top division, in which they have gone without a victory since September’s 3-1 beating of Bournemouth and sit eighth as a result.
Nevertheless, with a pair of Europa League wins over Ajax to boast about, De Zerbi’s men have a respectable five-game unbeaten run across all competitions on their record and have scored in 28 successive Premier League fixtures, the fifth-longest such sequence in history behind Arsenal’s 55, Manchester United and Liverpool’s 36 and Manchester City’s 29.
Those four sides all hoisted the Premier League trophy aloft during their golden streaks in front of goal, but title fantasies remain a pipe dream for an off-colour Brighton, who failed to win either of their top-flight meetings with Forest last season and were bested 3-1 at the City Ground in April.
Nottingham Forest Premier League form:
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:
Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):
Advert – content below:
Team News
© Reuters
Forest’s loss to West Ham proved to be a particularly painful occasion for defender Murillo, who has caught the eye with his masterful passing out from the back this season but is now likely to miss Saturday’s match with a hamstring problem sustained at the London Stadium.
Callum Hudson-Odoi will not be available for the same reason, while Felipe (knee) and Gonzalo Montiel (calf) are only believed to have slim chances of being involved against the Seagulls, although the latter did make the Argentina squad for November’s World Cup qualifiers.
Unless Murillo recovers quicker than expected, Willy Boly will deputise alongside Moussa Niakhate in the hosts’ backline, and Dominguez may fall victim to a ruthless Cooper decision after his costly error, as Danilo – who replaced him at half time against West Ham – is pushing to return to the XI.
As for Brighton, Dahoud will serve the first of a three-game ban this week after scraping the side of Ben Osborn‘s leg with his studs, leading De Zerbi to claim that he dislikes as many as “80%” of referees in England amid prolonged PGMOL controversy.
The Seagulls coach will also be without Danny Welbeck, Solly March (knee) and Julio Enciso (knee) for the weekend, while Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan and James Milner will all be assessed after missing the Sheffield United draw with knocks sustained in the Europa League.
On a rare positive note, Evan Ferguson completed 24 minutes of the Republic of Ireland’s recent friendly draw with New Zealand on Tuesday and should be fine to spearhead the attack, which would spell danger for Facundo Buonanotte‘s place in the XI.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Aina, Niakhate, Boly, Toffolo; Sangare, Mangala, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Awoniyi, Elanga
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Webster, Igor; Gilmour, Baleba; Adingra, Fati, Mitoma; Ferguson
We say: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Having felt Cooper’s wrath after their agonising loss to West Ham, Forest should be backed to come up with a satisfactory response at the City Ground, where no visiting team has emerged triumphant in a Premier League fixture this season.
A two-week reset is just what the doctor ordered for Brighton as well, but victory may be step too far for a decimated Seagulls squad, who may very well record a 1-1 draw for the fourth top-flight game in a row.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
