Brentford vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Bees get back to winning ways

Brentford play host to Nottingham Forest in an intriguing encounter that could have ramifications on the relegation battle. Neither club has truly managed to distance themselves away from the bottom three and three points for either side today good turn out to be gold dust in the race to avoid the drop.

The Bees welcome back Ivan Toney following the forward’s eight-month ban for breaking the Premier League’s gambling rules. He will captain the side and manager Thomas Frank has backed the forward to regain his imperious form. Toney has been linked with a possible move away from Brentford during this window though he seems committed to helping the club out of their relegation trouble.

Forest, meanwhile, have the threat of sanctions looming over them for potentially breaching Profit and Sustainability rules. The club needs to distance themselves from the bottom three in case they get deducted points and they’ve made a bright start under Nuno Espirito Santo with wins over Newcastle and Manchester United.

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Brentford vs Nottingham Forest LIVE

• Brentford host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League

• 68’ GOAL! - Maupay’s control, swivel and shoot puts the Bees ahead (BRE 3-2 NFO)

• 65’ GOAL! - Wood levels for Forest (BRE 2-2 NFO)

• 58’ GOAL! - Mee nods the Bees into the lead (BRE 2-1 NFO)

• 19’ GOAL! - Toney scores from free kick on Premier League return (BRE 1-1 NFO)

• 3’ GOAL! - Danilo volleys Forest into the lead (BRE 0-1 NFO)

Brentford FC 3 - 2 Nottingham Forest FC

Full-time! Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:31 , Mike Jones

90+10 mins: There goes the final whistle! Brentford clinch a thrilling contest and take the points. It’s a much needed win for Thomas Frank’s side and a perfect way for Ivan Toney to return to the team.

The Bees jump ahead of Nottingham Forest in the table and earn themselves a buffer over the relegation zone.

Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:25 , Mike Jones

90+5 mins: Forest have lost all their mojo inside the final third and are almost begging the ball to go into the back of the net. Brentford seem fairly comfortable.

Five minutes to go.

Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:21 , Mike Jones

90 mins: There’s 10 minutes of added time to play!

Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:15 , Mike Jones

84 mins: Forest striker Chris Wood has a shot deflected into the air and team-mate Danilo commits a foul as he tries to get on the end of it.

Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:06 , Mike Jones

74 mins: Brentford are being told to stay switched on as Neco Williams wins a corner for Forest. He swings it in himself but Toney win the first ball before Pinnock completes the clearance.

Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest

19:02 , Mike Jones

71 mins: Into the final 20 minutes now and this game is massively alive. Forest feel harshly done by as they think Maupay handled the ball before the goal.

It didn’t look as though he did on the replays though.

GOAL! Brentford 3-2 Nottingham Forest (Maupay, 68’)⚽️

18:59 , Mike Jones

68 mins: Maupay sends Brentford ahead!

Ivan Toney drops deep to receive the ball then sends it out wide to the right. The cross comes in to Neal Maupay who brings it under control, swivels then latches onto a left footed strike.

He fizzes it into the net and Brentford take the lead again!

Brentford 2-2 Nottingham Forest

18:58 , Mike Jones

67 mins: Mangala drills an effort towards goal after Brentford lose possession. He receives the ball after Wood lays off another Hudson-Odoi cross.

Mangala shoots but blazes the chance wide of the target.

GOAL! Brentford 2-2 Nottingham Forest (Wood, 65’)⚽️

18:56 , Mike Jones

65 mins: Equaliser!

It’s Chris Wood again for Forest. Danilo recovers the ball on the edge of the box and slips it out wide to Hudson-Odoi who dinks a perfect cross into the box.

Wood rises to the ball and turns his headed effort into the back of the net!

Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest

18:53 , Mike Jones

63 mins: The good news for Forest is that they’re sticking in the game. They’ve not wilted and let Brentford dictate play but they need to sharpen up in the final third if they want to get back in this match.

Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest

18:50 , Mike Jones

60 mins: Brentford are flying now. They’ve got themselves ahead from a goal down and look keen to increase their lead. Neal Maupay has a sight at goal but can’t get a shot away.

GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Mee, 58’)⚽️

18:49 , Mike Jones

58 mins: Brentford take the lead! From the corner Ben Mee breaks free of Gonzalo Montiel and powers the ball into the back of the net with a strong header.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:48 , Mike Jones

57 mins: Brentford sweep forward on the break after Toney is cleaned out by Omobamidele. Lewis-Potter collects the ball and drives into the penalty area.

He should shoot but decides against it and looks instead to square the ball but Forest manage to turn it behind for a corner.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:46 , Mike Jones

54 mins: Hudson-Odoi runs at Brentford but is forced to offload the ball out wide to Danilo. He slips a pass into the box for Orel Mangala who flicks it towards goal and misses the target!

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:42 , Mike Jones

51 mins: Hudson-Odoi almost nicks the ball off Ethan Pinnock with the defender attempting to play out from back. The ball it poked out for a throw but Forest chuck it backwards and don’t make use of their decent position up the pitch.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:40 , Mike Jones

48 mins: Mathias Jenen whips a lovely free kick into the penalty area and places into a dangerous area. Forest defend it nicely, even managing to skirt the ball out to Callum Hudson-Odoi who drives up the pitch and looks to counter-attack.

Second half! Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:36 , Mike Jones

Which way will this one go?

The players head back out for the second half with no changes in personnel. Brentford get the match restarted and look to push forward down the left side of the pitch.

HT Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:27 , Mike Jones

Half-time! Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:20 , Mike Jones

45+4 mins: Both managers will head into the break pleased with their team’s work in the first half. It’s not been a free flowing game but there has been chances at either end.

Danilo’s opener was incredible and Toney’s free kick got the crowd going again. This match could still go either way.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:15 , Mike Jones

45 mins: Four added minutes to play in the first half.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:13 , Mike Jones

42 mins: There are a few boos from the Forest fans whenever Toney gets on the ball. He moeves out wide and takes a shot at goal from just inside the box.

It does not go well and the ball flies wide.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:12 , Mike Jones

39 mins: A clash of heads between Neal Maupay and Nicolas Domínguez means that play is stopped so they can be treated. Both players look fine to play on.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:08 , Mike Jones

36 mins: Shot! Nuno Tavares brings the ball down the inside left channel before cutting inside and letting fly with a decent effort. He strikes it well but send the shot straight at Flekken who clings onto the ball without too much trouble.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:06 , Mike Jones

33 mins: Nicolas Domunguez nips into the penalty area after Orel Mangala pulls the ball back for Forest. He tips it around a defender but can’t recover the ball before Mark Flekken scoops it up.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

18:01 , Mike Jones

30 mins: Brentford have turned up the tempo and are winning repeated corners. Forest have, so far, been up to the task of keeping them at bay.

Crossbar! The latest set piece is whipped over to the back post where Ivan Toney pulls the ball back into the middle. Keane Lewis-Potter drills a shot at goal, hits the underside of the bar and Forest get lucky as the ball bounces back into play.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

17:57 , Mike Jones

27 mins: The Bees win themselves a corner that gets lifted into the box. Keane Lewis-Potter glances the ball on but it drops to Chris Wood who belts it as far down the pitch as he can.

Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

17:56 , Mike Jones

24 mins: There’s a buzz around the stadium again. The Brentford fans believe they can go on and win this game and much of that comes down to Ivan Toney being the man to score.

Forest are playing nicely though, this is turning into a fine match.

GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Toney, 19’)⚽️

17:50 , Mike Jones

19 mins: Who else?!

Ivan Toney steps up to take the free kick. He drills is low around the wall and curls the ball into the near bottom corner. Brentford are level and Toney has his goal after eight months on the sidelines.

Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest

17:48 , Mike Jones

18 mins: Mikkel Damsgaard weaves in from the right after a nice one-two and gets pulled down just outside the box by Orel Mangala.

This is a big chance for Brentford.

Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest

17:44 , Mike Jones

15 mins: Block!

Brentford are forced to defend again after Chris Wood wins the ball deep in their half. He sends it across to Ryan Yates who shoots and sees his shot deflected into the path of Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Hudson-Odoi checks to the left, rolls the ball back onto his right foot then shoots but a Brentford shirt gets in the way and the hosts manage to scoop the ball clear.

Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest

17:42 , Mike Jones

12 mins: The Bees are starting to settle. They’re seeing more of the ball despite a high and intense press from Forest. Thomas Frank is issuing updated orders from the sidelines as his side look to build out from the back.

Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest

17:39 , Mike Jones

9 mins: Ryan Yates gets a shot away for Forest but pulls it wide of the far post. The visitors are certainly imposing themselves on this match now.

Brentford look slightly off the pace.

Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest

17:36 , Mike Jones

6 mins: That’s the worst possible start for Brentford. Forest have been brilliantly in the first 15 minutes of matches and are level with Spurs in scoring seven goals during this time in league games.

The Bees need to regroup now and come again.

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Danilo, 3’)⚽️

17:34 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Bang!

Forest take an early lead with a fantastic from Danilo. Brentford fail to properly clear their lines and can only nod the ball to Danilo on the edge of the box.

He controls it before smoking a volley into the bck of the net!

Kick off! Brentford 0-0 Nottingham Forest

17:30 , Mike Jones

Nottingham Forest get the match underway and work the ball over to the left side of the pitch. Chris Wood brings it under control but loses possession immediately and Brentford smoke the ball back down the pitch.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:25 , Mike Jones

Chris Wood has scored four goals in three Premier League appearances for Forest under Nuno, as many goals as he netted in all 22 league games under Cooper.

Meanwhile, Anthony Elanga has scored six and assisted four of Forest’s 24 Premier League goals this season.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:20 , Mike Jones

Brentford have conceded 18 Premier League home goals this season, already matching their total number from last season.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:15 , Mike Jones

Only Arsenal, with nine, have scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Nottingham Forest’s eight. Brentford have conceded a league-high 10 goals from headers.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:10 , Mike Jones

Forest have recorded eight points and scored 10 goals on the road in this campaign. They amassed eight points and scored 11 goals away from home in the entirety of last season.

Since their return to the Premier League last season, Nottingham Forest have conceded 29 goals in 12 away league games against London sides, an average of 2.4 per game. They lost 5-0 against Fulham on their last visit to the capital.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:05 , Mike Jones

Forest could win successive Premier League away games for the first time since a run of four from March to April 1995.

They have not lost their opening league fixture of a calendar year since a 1-0 home defeat versus Barnsley in the Championship in 2017.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

17:00 , Mike Jones

Brentford have not lost their opening league fixture of a calendar year since a 3-0 defeat at Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves in the Championship in 2018.

They have dropped a league-high 20 points from a winning position in the current campaign.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

16:55 , Mike Jones

Nottingham Forest have won two of their three Premier League matches under Nuno Espirito Santo. They only managed three victories in 17 league games under Steve Cooper this season.

Forest can earn three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since May 1999.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

16:50 , Mike Jones

Brentford have lost seven of their last eight league matches, including each of the last five. The longest Premier League losing streak this season is six by Sheffield United and Burnley.

The Bees have lost 10 of their 19 Premier League games this season, as many defeats as in the whole of 2022-23.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

16:45 , Mike Jones

Nottingham Forest have won just three of their 17 league games at Brentford, keeping only one clean sheet.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

16:40 , Mike Jones

Nottingham Forest are winless in five league matches against Brentford since a 1-0 victory at Griffin Park in the Championship in 2020.

The reverse Premier League fixture this season ended 1-1 at the City Ground in October. Forest had Moussa Niakhate sent off.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest team changes

16:35 , Mike Jones

Thomas Frank makes four changes to the side who lost in the FA Cup to Wolves in midweek.

Ivan Toney starts on his return to competitive football after serving an eight-month ban, Mark Flekken returns in goal, Ben Mee comes into the defence and Vitaly Janelt starts in midfield.

Nottingham Forest make one change to the side who beat Blackpool in the FA Cup in midweek. Gonzalo Montiel replaces Neco Williams in defence.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest line-ups

16:31 , Mike Jones

Brentford XI: Flekken, Mee, Pinnock, Collins, Roerslev, Damsgaard, Janelt, Jensen, Lewis-Potter, Toney, Maupay.

Nottingham Forest XI: Turner, Tavares, Murrilo, Omobamidele, Montiel, Danilo, Mangala, Hudson-Odoi, Yates, Dominguez, Wood.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest prediction

16:25 , Mike Jones

Brentford will welcome back Ivan Toney with open arms but this match may come too soon for him to properly reach his pre-ban levels in front of goal.

In contrast, Forest are in fine form and should cause some problems today even without the impressive Morgan Gibbs-White.

Brentford 1-2 Nottingham Forest.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest early team news

16:20 , Mike Jones

Ivan Toney will captain Brentford as he returns after serving an eight-month ban for a breach of betting rules. Loan signing Sergio Reguilon could make his debut and Ethan Pinnock is available.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is set to miss up to two weeks due to an abdominal injury sustained in training, while Divock Origi and Anthony Elanga remain out.

How to watch Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

16:15 , Mike Jones

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest is due to kick off at 5.30pm GMT on Saturday 20 January at the Emirates Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage on the channel from 5pm GMT. Subscribers can stream the action via the SkyGo app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

15:43 , Mike Jones

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action between Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

The Bees are hoping that the return of Ivan Toney will turnaround their fortunes and get Thomas Frank’s men back to winning ways when they take on a confident Forest side.

Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest have beaten Newcastle and Manchester United and are now hoping to continue their great form and distance themselves from the relegation zone.

We’ll have all the updates, team news and match action throughout the night so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 5.30pm.