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Nottingham Forest logo
Premier League | Gameweek 33
Apr 26, 2023 at 7.30pm UK
City Ground
Brighton logo

Nott'm Forest
3 - 1
Brighton

Gross (45+3' og.), Danilo (69'), Gibbs-White (90+1' pen.)
Felipe (4'), Navas (90+14')
FT(HT: 1-1)

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

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest will look to build on an improved performance against Liverpool when Brighton & Hove Albion visit the City Ground on Wednesday evening.

Steve Cooper's side suffered a 3-2 defeat at Anfield last time out, while the Seagulls endured penalty heartbreak against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals.


Match preview

Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates scoring for Nottingham Forest on April 22, 2023© Reuters

Despite seeing just 18% of the ball against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest showed great spirit to come from behind on two occasions at Anfield, with Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White finding the back of the net for the visitors.

However, defensive lapses enabled Diogo Jota to bag a brace before Mohamed Salah scored the winner midway through the second half to inflict a fourth successive defeat on the Tricky Trees, who have slipped to 19th in the Premier League table.

Although Forest find themselves one point from safety with six games remaining, Cooper's men must return to winning ways if they want to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, as they head into Wednesday's clash on an 11-match winless run.

Indeed, Nottingham Forest have recorded three draws and eight losses since their last victory, with six defeats coming in their previous seven outings, although they can take confidence from their impressive record on home soil.

Having lost just two of their last 12 Premier League clashes at the City Ground – clinching positive results against the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea along the way – Forest will be hopeful of taking advantage of a deflated Brighton outfit.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Solly March and manager Roberto De Zerbi look dejected after losing the penalty shootout on April 23, 2023© Reuters

The Seagulls can count themselves very unfortunate to have lost Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, as Solly March's penalty miss enabled Victor Lindelof to score the winning spot kick after 120 minutes of goalless action.

Brighton controlled large spells of the contest at Wembley, racking up 15 shots while enjoying the lion's share of possession, but they failed to make the most of their dominance and were ultimately unsuccessful in the penalty shootout lottery.

Still, Roberto De Zerbi's men have plenty to play for between now and the end of the season, as they find themselves eighth in the Premier League table – 10 points shy of the top four – with as many as three games in hand over certain rivals.

Not only have Brighton lost just one of their last seven league encounters, but they have also lost two of their previous 13, securing seven wins and four draws to remain within touching distance of the European places.

Thanks to a 2-1 victory at Chelsea earlier this month, the Seagulls have scored at least two goals in nine of their last 14 Premier League games, so they will be confident of piling more pressure on struggling Forest, who have the third-worst defensive record in the division.

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:


Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):



Team News

Nottingham Forest's Scott McKenna is substituted after sustaining an injury on April 22, 2023© Reuters

Scott McKenna made a swift return to Nottingham Forest's lengthy injury list as the centre-back was forced off at Anfield with a suspected collar bone issue, leaving Steve Cooper with limited defensive options.

McKenna joins fellow defenders Willy Boly, Serge Aurier, Giulian Biancone and Omar Richards on the sidelines, meaning that Joe Worrall should return alongside Moussa Niakhate and Felipe at centre-back.

With goalkeeper Dean Henderson continuing to recover from a hamstring injury, Paris Saint-Germain loanee Keylor Navas will retain his place in Forest's starting XI, while Remo Freuler is expected to anchor the midfield.

Cooper made the bold decision to drop key forward Brennan Johnson last time out, but the Wales international – who has scored eight Premier League goals this term – is likely to be restored to the starting lineup on Wednesday.

With Chris Wood, Ryan Yates, Gustavo Scarpa, Jack Colback and Cheikhou Kouyate also out injured, Cooper has little scope for rotation as he attempts to find a winning formula.

As for Brighton, Evan Ferguson looks set to remain sidelined for the foreseeable future, so Danny Welbeck will continue to lead the line, with Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March occupying the wide attacking areas.

The Seagulls are also without Adam Lallana, Jeremy Sarmiento and Tariq Lamptey due to injury, meaning that Roberto De Zerbi will not be able to make too many changes to the XI that started Sunday's defeat at Wembley.

Goalkeeper Jason Steele could come back into the team at the expense of Robert Sanchez, while Alexis Mac Allister could occupy a deeper midfield position to accommodate Julio Enciso in a more advanced role.

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Navas; Felipe, Worral, Niakhate; Williams, Freuler, Mangala, Lodi; Awoniyi, Gibbs-White, Johnson

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Gross, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; March, Enciso, Mitoma; Welbeck


SM words green background

We say: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Although Brighton will be fatigued after Sunday's marathon FA Cup showdown with Manchester United, De Zerbi's men should have enough in the tank to inflict a fifth successive defeat on Nottingham Forest.

The Tricky Trees invariably give visiting teams a run for their money on Trentside, but the hosts look set to fall short against the high-flying Seagulls, who are expected to notch a third victory in four Premier League outings.



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 under 3.5 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.Under 3.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Nott'm Forest vs Brighton

Nottingham Forest
19.8%
Draw
12.5%
Brighton & Hove Albion
67.7%
192
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Brighton & Hove Albion's Solly March and manager Roberto De Zerbi look dejected after losing the penalty shootout on April 23, 2023
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


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