Nottingham Forest are chasing a sorely needed three points in the Premier League this weekend as they take on Brighton on the South Coast.
The Seagulls have had a difficult season and come into this game not completely out of the woods. Prior to beating Brentford last weekend, a very timely win, Brighton were on a run of only one win in 13 Premier League games. Manager Fabian Hurtzeler is under mounting pressure from the Brighton faithful, and even if he secures survival this season, his position in the Brighton dugout next season is far from assured.
Brighton's form in their last five games is one win, three losses and one draw, with their most recent game the 2-0 win away at Brentford. On home soil, the Seagulls have been a bit more robust, losing only one of their last six, and winning four of their last ten. They have a good recent record against Nottingham Forest, losing only one of the last six head-to-head meetings, so they'll feel confident about taking another huge step towards securing Premier League survival.
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are deep in the mire and are yearning for a league victory. The Tricky Trees' league performances have been poor for a number of weeks, as they come into this game winless in their last four, with just one win in their last six in the league.
They're under the guidance of a new manager in Vitor Pereira, who is taking charge of only his fourth game, and the consensus is that the team is improving. A solid performance against Liverpool last weekend ended in a 0-1 defeat via a last gasp goal from the visitors, but they'll be hoping to turn performances into results from hereon out.
Forest have already been beaten by Brighton this season, a 0-2 defeat back in November, so as they travel away to the Amex amidst a poor run of form, they profile as the clear underdogs. Four of the seven Premier League meetings between these two teams have seen over 2.5 goals, so we should see a few in this one, but the Seagulls will feel confident of swinging the pendulum in their direction.
Brighton 2-1 Nottingham Forest
