Nottingham Forest vs Brighton & Hove Albion: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Nottingham Forest will still be reeling the effects of the defeat to Bournemouth from last week, and we think the spoils will be shared at home against the draw specialists in the division.

The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a stalemate (2-2) back in September, with the Seagulls drawing 10 games this season and two of the previous five meetings, resulting in a draw between the two teams.

Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last five home league matches - with four wins and a draw from five. Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in their previous five away matches in the Premier League, however, the Seagulls have only won twice, drawing the remaining three.

Brighton & Hove Albion have proven to be a stern test on their travels, with victories against Manchester United (1-3) and high-flying Bournemouth (1-2). We believe that will pose Nottingham Forest some questions at the weekend.

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion.

Third-placed Nottingham Forest will be looking to bounce back from their previous defeat, when they take on a Brighton & Hove Albion side who have been impressive away from home.

Date: 01/02/2025
Location: City Ground, Nottingham.
Kick-Off: 12.30 pm

The defeat against Bournemouth (5-0) has been the only major blemish on an excellent season for Nuno Espirito Santo, who has masterminded an unprecedented season for the side from Nottingham. The home side (as it stands) will be playing UEFA Champions League football next season, should they see out their remaining games and qualify for Europe’s elite. The hosts have accumulated 44 points this season from 23 games played, scoring 33 and conceding 17 goals.

A part of Nuno Espirito Santo's coaching ability is developing a system that has played to the strengths of his personnel. Performances from Ola Aina, Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic have boosted the performances in defence, whilst Chris Wood is enjoying his best scoring season, with a total of 14 thus far - which had seen the New Zealand captain pick up the Player of the Month award for October.

Brighton & Hove Albion are still hunting for a potential European place this season, with the Seagulls starting adrift of the top seven by six points. However, they will take comfort in knowing that a large portion of the season is still to play. The Seagulls are in ninth place in the Premier League table, with 34 points accumulated from 23 games played - scoring 35 and conceding 31.

The game will be available on TNT Sports 1 and BT Sports Ultimate.

Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi are expected to be the notable absentees for Nottingham Forest’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Evan Ferguson, Ferdi Kadioglu, Igor Julio, James Milner, Mats Wiefer and Jason Steele are all expected to be unavailable for the Seagulls.

The recent history between the two teams would suggest that Brighton & Hove Albion are the marginal favourites for this fixture, with the Seagulls remaining unbeaten in the last three meetings between the two teams. Brighton & Hove Albion secured a league double against Nottingham Forest last season, with a 1-0 win at the American Express Stadium and a 3-2 win at the City Ground - with goals from Evan Ferguson and Joao Pedro (x2). This fixture tends to provide goals aplenty between the two sides, as Over 2.5 goals have been scored in six of the last eight meetings between the two teams.

Nottingham Forest have been excellent this season, and they head into this game in somewhat respectable form despite the recent 5-0 loss to Bournemouth last time out. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have won three of their previous five matches in all competitions, with wins over Southampton (3-2) and Wolves (0-3) in the Premier League - whilst securing a 2-0 victory in the FA Cup against Luton Town. In the Premier League, the Reds are in tremendous form, having only lost twice in their previous 10 league matches and beating the likes of Manchester United (2-3) and Brentford (0-2) away from home.

The home form for Nottingham Forest has been essential to their success this season, with the Reds losing only twice on home soil and picking up 21 points from a possible 33 on offer at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last five home league matches - with four wins and a draw - securing victories against Aston Villa (2-1) and Tottenham Hotspur (1-0). Defensively, Nottingham Forest have the third-best home defensive record, with 10 goals conceded - only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded less.

Brighton & Hove Albion are coming into this game on the reels of a 1-0 defeat to Everton. However, the defeat against the Toffees was the first blemish on their record as of late, with the Seagulls remaining unbeaten in their previous seven matches before that game. With the defeat to Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion have won three of their last five games in all competitions, with notable victoria against Ipswich Town (0-2) and Manchester United (1-3).

In the Premier League, the Seagulls have been excellent away from home in recent weeks, as the away side are unbeaten in their last five matches away from home. The victories against Ipswich Town and Manchester United have been accompanied by three consecutive draws against Leicester City (2-2), West Ham United (1-1) and Aston Villa (2-2). The visitors have kept only three clean sheets away from home in 12 matches played on their travels.

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