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Nottingham Forest logo
Premier League | Gameweek 13
Nov 25, 2023 at 3pm UK
The City Ground
Brighton logo
Nott'm Forest
vs.
Brighton

Preview: Nottingham Forest vs. Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

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

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper before the match on November 5, 2023© 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.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi applauds fans after the match on November 9, 2023© 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):

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Team News

Brighton & Hove Albion's Mahmoud Dahoud is shown a red card by referee John Brooks on November 12, 2023© Reuters

On Thursday morning, Cooper confirmed the news that no Tricky Trees fan wanted to hear, as leading striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been ruled out for "months" with a groin injury sustained on international duty, so Chris Wood ought to come into the fray.

Forest's loss to West Ham also 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, but Danilo's chances of displacing Dominguez in the middle have been harmed by an ankle sprain; Anthony Elanga should shake off a knee injury, though.

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, Dominguez; Gibbs-White, Wood, Elanga

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Veltman, Van Hecke, Webster, Igor; Gilmour, Baleba; Adingra, Fati, Mitoma; Ferguson


SM words green background

We say: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Having felt Cooper's wrath after their agonising loss to West Ham, Forest - even an Awoniyi-less one - 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.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 2.5:data

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Data Pass: [t, premier-league, odds, 3555218]
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Who will win Saturday's Premier League clash between Nott'm Forest and Brighton?

Nottingham Forest
Draw
Brighton & Hove Albion
Nottingham Forest
32.4%
Draw
29.7%
Brighton & Hove Albion
37.8%
37
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 Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma during the warm up before the match on September 16, 2023
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Brighton's Mitoma confirms injury, withdraws from Japan squad
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City1291232122028
2Liverpool1283127101727
3Arsenal1283126101627
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs128222415926
5Aston Villa1281329171225
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd127051316-321
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1262427131420
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton125432521419
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham125252122-117
10Chelsea124442116516
11Brentford124441917216
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves124351620-415
13Crystal Palace124351216-415
14Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest123451418-413
15Fulham123361020-1012
16Bournemouth122371127-169
17Luton TownLuton121381022-126
18Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd121291031-215
19Everton124261417-34
20Burnley121110930-214

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