Nottingham Forest vs Brentford – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest host Brentford at the City Ground on Sunday, with both clubs eager to make a strong start to the 2025/26 Premier League season.

For Forest, this season marks their return to European football after an impressive previous campaign.

Meanwhile, Brentford embark on a new chapter under manager Keith Andrews, following the departure of their long-serving boss Thomas Frank. Consequently, the meeting promises a fascinating tactical battle as both sides look to seize early momentum.

Forest will be keen to leverage their home advantage after a positive pre-season. However, this fixture has been tight in recent years.

Nottingham Forest vs Brentford – Match preview and team news

Date: Sunday 17th August 2025 Kick-off: 4:30pm BST Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham Last Meeting: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brentford, May 2nd, 2025, Premier League

Team News

Nottingham Forest

Nuno Espírito Santo could hand a competitive debut to summer signing Dan Ndoye. He is expected to join Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi in a dynamic attack, filling the gap left by Anthony Elanga’s departure to Newcastle.

However, the manager will be without midfielder Nicolas Domínguez, who has been ruled out with a knee injury. Elliot Anderson is in line to partner with Ryan Yates in the centre of the park. The rest of the squad is fit, with Nikola Milenković and Murillo set to continue their solid partnership in central defence.

Brentford

New manager Keith Andrews will oversee a much-changed Brentford side. The team has seen the departure of key players Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Nørgaard, meaning new faces will be integrated quickly. The defence will be built around new captain Nathan Collins.

Furthermore, the Bees will be without Yoane Wissa, whose future is the subject of transfer speculation. In his absence, the midfield will be led by experienced new signing Jordan Henderson, along with Mathias Jensen. Aside from some long-term absentees, Andrews reports no new injury concerns.

Form

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest wrapped up their pre-season with a goalless draw against Al-Qadsiah, marking their fifth clean sheet in seven matches. However, scoring proved a real struggle, with Forest netting just once during the entire pre-season as they recorded four 0-0 draws and struggled to find attacking fluency.

Despite the lack of goals, the defensive organisation under Nuno Espírito Santo showed promise as they geared up to build on their impressive 7th-place finish in 2024/25 and prepare for a return to European competition.

Brentford

Brentford’s 2025 pre-season under new boss Keith Andrews yielded mixed results, including a 1-1 draw versus Gil Vicente, a 2-2 stalemate with Borussia Mönchengladbach, and a narrow defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

Despite varied outcomes, the Bees displayed tactical discipline and resilience that Andrews aims to sharpen in competitive matches. Key players like Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Nørgaard departed, yet the squad maintains competitive depth as it begins a new chapter post-Thomas Frank.

Predicted Lineups

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Cunha, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Yates, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.

Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Henry; Jensen, Henderson; Carvalho, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Thiago.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Brentford?

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK, with coverage starting from 4pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the action live via the Sky Go app.

Read- Premier League Preview: The fans’ view – Nottingham Forest

See More- Premier League Preview: The fans’ view – Brentford

Subscribe to our social channels:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube