With both sides being eagerly hunted by the teams below, they definitely find themselves on the cusp of a relegation battle, which only heightens the value of 3 points in these types of games.
Brentford have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season, a total of 20 so they’re certainly no strangers to taking the lead.

The difficulty comes at the back in securing those efforts. This has come without their star striker Ivan Toney, who netted 20 goals in 33 appearances last year and is likely to start his first game of the season on Saturday.

Brentford have scored in all but 5 of their 23 outings across all competitions this season and seemingly don’t have any worries giving away goals at the other end either. Both teams have scored in 63% of their games, and Brentford are without a clean sheet since October, so this market looks like a strong selection.

This average is boosted up to 68% for Brentford games with over 2.5 goals, and with this market landing in 4 of their last 5 matches, it could also hold great potential.

Nottingham Forest haven’t exactly been known for their goalscoring prowess so far this campaign, having scored just 24 goals in the league this season, but seven have come in the last three games. Having scored 3 goals midweek, they’re certainly finding success under new management. Forest netted 5 goals across their two-part FA Cup saga with Blackpool, and have netted in all but 7 of their 23 games this season.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in all of Forest’s last 5 games and with so much at stake for both sides here, one is going to have to make the difference somehow. Both teams have scored in the last 5 meetings between these two sides, and we are expecting plenty of goals again here.

The saga continues as Ivan Toney is set to start in his first game back this season after serving an 8-month suspension, a crucial return for Brentford. His absence has meant there are no shooting stats to add to his name this season but we know how clinical he can be.

Toney racked up 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season, averaging 2.65 shots per 90 with 1.01 of those hitting the target. It’s clear to see why so many top clubs are after his signature and if he’s hoping to secure a move away as early as the January transfer window, he’ll be wanting to kick off his return with a bang.

Toney grabbed a goal in this fixture last season and with Forest showing continued vulnerability at the back, we look forward to seeing the return of one of the Premier League’s best no. 9s. Football is all about narratives and setting up these moments, it would be typical for him to score on his first game back. He did get a runout in a friendly against Southampton U23s recently, scoring a hat-trick – let’s hope he kept his finishing boots on.

From one English striker to the next, Chris Wood has emerged as the central danger man for Forest in recent weeks. Wood grabbed the winner in the 110th minute on Wednesday night to send his side through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, and has shown continued promise in recent weeks when he finds himself in good attacking positions.

Wood is averaging a respectable 2.31 shots per 90 and 1.34 shots on target to the same measure this season, the best numbers across both categories in the Forest squad, and his goal in midweek was his fifth in as many games.

There are some noticeable absences from the Forest side, being the most affected by AFCON in the league with six departures, but recent performances have proven their ability to create promising shooting opportunities with consistency. They face a Brentford side that’s allowing an average of 13 shots per 90 this season, and we expect Chris Wood to be part of that onslaught.

Brentford’s midfield options this weekend are looking particularly sparse due to international duty and injuries. Frank Onyeka, Christian Norgaard, Mathias Jensen and Kristoffer Ajer are all set to miss out this weekend, leaving a substantial hole in the Bees’ midfield.

All of those players carry out the dirty work in this Brentford side, meaning that gap has to be filled in their absence to avoid extra pressure from a Forest side that have shown great attacking promise recently. A key candidate is Vitaly Janelt, who isn’t particularly infamous for racking up the fouls, but could be forced into alleviating some of that pressure building in midfield.

The Danish midfielder is committing an average of 0.76 fouls per 90 this season but he will be facing the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Ryan Yates and Orel Mangala who draw 1.71, 2.70 and 1.22 fouls per 90 respectively. Saturday will be a serious test of Janelt’s patience, and we predict his fuse to blow at least once.

Ryan Yates continues to get on the wrong side of the referee as he picked up another 2 fouls in the Reds’ last outing, against Manchester United. This brought him up to seven consecutive Premier League matches in which he has committed at least one foul, with an impressive total of 19 fouls across those seven fixtures.

Yates is averaging 3 fouls per 90 this season, as well as 2.70 fouls drawn and 2 tackles won, he really gravitates towards those midfield clashes. Brentford are drawing 11 fouls a game in the league this season and with this match having so much at stake for both sides, we can count on Yates to do the work his team needs from him.