Brentford v Nottingham Forest Live Commentary & Result, 29/04/2023, Premier League

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCI Manchester City	38	28	5	5	94	33	+61	89	L D W W W
2	ARS Arsenal	38	26	6	6	88	43	+45	84	W L L W W
3	MUN Manchester United	38	23	6	9	58	43	+15	75	W W W W L
4	NEW Newcastle United	38	19	14	5	68	33	+35	71	D D W D L
5	LIV Liverpool	38	19	10	9	75	47	+28	67	D D W W W
6	BHA Brighton & Hove Albion	38	18	8	12	72	53	+19	62	L D W L W
7	AVL Aston Villa	38	18	7	13	51	46	+5	61	W D W L L
8	TOT Tottenham Hotspur	38	18	6	14	70	63	+7	60	W L L W L
9	BRE Brentford	38	15	14	9	58	46	+12	59	W W W L W
10	FUL Fulham	38	15	7	16	55	53	+2	52	L D W W L
11	CRY Crystal Palace	38	11	12	15	40	49	-9	45	D D W L W
12	CHE Chelsea	38	11	11	16	38	47	-9	44	D L L D W
13	WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	11	8	19	31	58	-27	41	L D L W L
14	WHU West Ham United	38	11	7	20	42	55	-13	40	L W L W L
15	BOU AFC Bournemouth	38	11	6	21	37	71	-34	39	L L L L W
16	NFO Nottingham Forest	38	9	11	18	38	68	-30	38	D W D W L
17	EVE Everton	38	8	12	18	34	57	-23	36	W D L W D
18	LEI Leicester City	38	9	7	22	51	68	-17	34	W D L L D
19	LEE Leeds United	38	7	10	21	48	78	-30	31	L L D L L
20	SOU Southampton	38	6	7	25	36	73	-37	25	D L L L L

That's all from Brentford Community Stadium today, so thank you for joining us and goodbye!

Buoyed by back-to-back wins, Brentford will travel to Anfield full of confidence when they meet Liverpool next week, while Forest's fight against demotion continues in a clash with fellow strugglers Southampton.

Beaten by two late goals, Forest return home empty-handed despite defending doggedly and leading since just before the break. With time running out, Brentford seemed to be all out of ideas about how to break their visitors down, but Toney was first to strike back from a free-kick and Dasilva's moment of magic stole maximum points. Forest are left dangling just above the drop zone and must consider what might have been; Brentford are ever more secure in the top half of the table.

90' + 11' FULL-TIME: BRENTFORD 2-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST

90' + 9' Playing with 10 men, as the injured Danilo could not continue, Forest seem destined for a galling defeat. They've let the points slip through their fingers - could that prove costly come the final reckoning in the Premier League relegation battle?

90' + 7' GOAL STANDS! By a matter of inches, there is no offside - Brentford's second goal will stand! What a close call!

90' + 6' GOAL REVIEW! Forest could have a reprieve, as the VAR delays proceedings to check a possible offside! Could the hosts' winner be ruled out?

F. Onyeka

Assist

90' + 4' Before embarking on a run and speculative shot to provide the winning goal, Dasilva received the ball from Onyeka's pass to the right touchline.

J. Dasilva

Goal

90' + 4' BRENTFORD WIN IT! Finally, the Bees are rewarded for their dominance; Forest are left heartbroken! Dasilva does it all himself, as he jinks in from the right and easily beats his marker before planting a powerful drive past Navas at the near post! It's 2-1 to Brentford deep into stoppage time!

90' + 1' CLOSE! Having cut inside and opened up some space just outside the area, Hickey unleashes a low effort across goal, which zips just wide of the bottom-left corner! It nearly brushed the post!

89' GREAT SAVE! Navas makes a potentially point-saving stop! After Ghoddos chests down to fellow substitute Onyeka on the edge of the box, the latter's low strike deflects off Wissa and dramatically changes course. Forest's veteran goalkeeper reacts sharply to dive down and keep the ball out of his goal!

88' Danilo is clutching his hamstring as he hobbles to the touchline, so perhaps it is a muscular injury rather than cramp. Either way, he will struggle to continue as the game gets back under way.

86' After the ball bobbles around dangerously on the edge of Brentford's box, Danilo swings and misses at an attempted shot and then drops back to the deck with an apparently painful case of cramp. The action comes to a halt.

84' Toney has now found the net in each of his three competitive appearances against Forest, and his goal here sees him become just the second Brentford player to score 20 times in a top-flight campaign.

I. Toney

Goal

82' BRENTFORD LEVEL IT! Toney to the rescue! From a 20-yard free-kick on the right, Brentford's top scorer strikes the ball through the crumbling defensive wall and past Navas at the near post! It creeps into the bottom-right corner for the Bees' long-awaited equaliser: it's 1-1!

R. Yates

O. Mangala

81' Having put in a tireless shift in the Forest midfield, Mangala makes way. Yates returns from injury to replace him.

79' CLOSE! Aurier's attempted header clear at the far post only trundles behind for a Brentford corner, which is delivered into the six-yard box. It then bounces up by the penalty spot, from where the unlikely figure of Mee tries an acrobatic bicycle kick that flies just over the crossbar!

S. Ghoddos

K. Schade

76' Making his fifth and final change, Frank introduces Ghoddos for Schade in the Brentford front line.

75' The action is paused momentarily, as Gibbs-White takes Mee's boot in the ribs and drops to the turf. Soon enough, the Forest forward is able to recover his composure and the game goes on.

73' SAVE! Lying prone on the ground inside Brentford's box, Niakhate somehow fashions an overhead kick on a dropping ball, but Raya is alert and makes a sharp save low down in the centre of his goal! A clever attempt, but no reward!

F. Onyeka

V. Janelt

71' Onyeka also arrives, in place of Janelt.

S. Baptiste

M. Jensen

71' Brentford make two more substitutions, hoping that fresh legs - and minds - can help them find an elusive goal. First, Jensen is replaced by Baptiste.

68' Even Ayew is back inside Forest's defensive third now, as a game of defence versus attack continues. Brentford seem clueless, though, in terms of how they'll break through and equalise.

C. Kouyaté

B. Johnson

66' After Johnson picks up a knock, Cooper makes another change to his side. Kouyate will offer even more defensive cover for Forest's back five.

64' Brentford may have increased their share of the ball to 73 per cent since half-time, but they have not managed a single shot on target during the second half.

62' Forest's resistance remains unbroken with only half-an-hour left to play. Their hosts have threatened a little more since the interval, but Cooper will surely be content with his team's defensive display.

J. Dasilva

M. Damsgaard

60' Damsgaard also makes way, with Dasilva coming on to replace him in midfield.

Y. Wissa

R. Henry

60' Frank has seen enough and opts for a double change. First, Wissa replaces Henry, who was booked during the first half.

58' An inviting cross from the left by Henry is drifted towards the penalty spot, but Toney collides with Niakhate when trying to reach it and concedes a free-kick.

A. Ayew

Yellow Card

56' Only moments after arriving from the bench, Ayew is booked. He decides to block Raya's attempted clearance at close range and the referee has no hesitation in reaching for a yellow card.

A. Ayew

T. Awoniyi

54' Having struggled to impose himself on the game, Awoniyi is withdrawn early. The vastly experienced Ayew will be his replacement.

52' An aerial challenge between Awoniyi and Pinnock sees the latter left crumpled on the grass, but after a while the Brentford defender is back to his feet and the action resumes.

50' Another Brentford corner is cleared away by a swipe of Felipe's boot, but the Forest defence were put under more pressure this time, after Henry's flick-on into the danger area.

48' After Mangala is dispossessed by Damsgaard in midfield, Aurier is drawn into a foul on the Denmark international and concedes a free-kick. Again, Forest defend the set-piece steadfastly.

46' Forest kick off, and we are back under way at Brentford Community Stadium!

While Brentford have a record of W0, D2, L7 when trailing at half-time in the Premier League this season, Forest are unbeaten in their last three when leading at the break. Can the relegation battlers hang on to their advantage until the final whistle, making it six points from a possible six in the space of just a few days?

With a classic demonstration of soaking up pressure and capitalising on the counter, Forest find themselves in front at the interval; converting their first shot on target in the dying seconds of a Brentford-dominated first half. Made to pay for failing to create enough openings at the other end, the Bees were stung by Danilo's second goal in as many games and will now have to fight back from behind. Their visitors now have something to defend and will not make it easy.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: BRENTFORD 0-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Danilo

Goal

45' + 1' FOREST STRIKE! With their first shot on target, the visitors score! After a long throw-in from the left, Gibbs-White's low drive is deflected into Danilo's path. The Brazilian then follows up his goal against Brighton by reacting first and firing home from six yards out! It's 1-0 to Forest just before the break!

44' Mbeumo's cross from a left-sided free-kick is met by a looping Mee header, but an increasingly busy Navas gathers the ball safely inside his six-yard box.

43' DOUBLE STOP! At his near post, Navas drops low to deny Pinnock's low drive and then reacts sharply to keep out Damsgaard's attempt at a flicked finish from close range! Good goalkeeping!

41' MISS! Forest's first real chance goes begging! A mix-up in the Brentford area sees Raya bundle into Hickey, but Awoniyi can't take advantage to head the ball on target from Johnson's inviting cross!

39' A dipping cross from the right by Janelt meets the waiting head of Schade at the back post, but the Brentford striker's effort at goal lacks power and Navas keeps it out with a regulation stop.

36' Growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of time on the ball, Gibbs-White is penalised for an aggressive attempt to take the ball off Hickey by the left touchline. He makes the referee aware of his feelings about the decision!

Felipe

Yellow Card

34' Beaten for pace by Schade out wide, Felipe is only able to topple his opponent with a late challenge and picks up a yellow card.

33' There are still 10 yellow-shirted Forest players banked inside their own half, protecting Navas' goal. Brentford seem to be out of ideas as to how they can find a way through.

31' Awoniyi is clattered to the turf by a clumsy challenge from Mee, but no free-kick is awarded. After a short spell of recovery, the Nottingham Forest striker is able to return to his feet and the game resumes.

R. Henry

Yellow Card

29' For opting to clip Johnson, who was sprinting clear of him on the counter-attack, Henry becomes the first player booked.

28' Worrall does well to shut down Janelt by the left corner flag, making sure to concede only a throw-in instead of a corner. Jensen's long throw into the box is then cleared away by a defensive header.

26' With 68 per cent of the possession to this point, Brentford have controlled the ball almost throughout this game. Yet, they've only managed two shots at goal.

24' On the rare occasion the ball makes it within range of Awoniyi, leading the line up front for Forest, the big striker is battling gamely to get hold of the ball. However, he is somewhat isolated and Brentford have had very few defensive concerns so far.

22' Brentford's third corner of the contest also comes to nothing, as Forest clear the ball away at the near post. The visitors are not only defending in numbers but also with great clarity and commitment.

20' The game is being played out at a relatively relaxed pace in the West London sunshine, with the home side seeking to build more momentum and ultimately lay siege to the area of a deep-lying Forest XI.

18' Brentford have won just one of their last six league games against Forest, with the only previous Premier League meeting between the teams ending 2-2 at the City Ground back in November.

16' As Lodi attempts to connect with the ball on the edge of Brentford's box, he finds himself bundled over by Mbeumo. However, the free-kick goes the Bees' way for an earlier foul.

14' After a second straight Brentford corner from the right, Navas grasps the ball tightly to his chest unopposed, as Mee's effort at goal lacks pace.

12' To keep Toney from cutting a ball back into the box, Lodi has to make a block on the left byline. Brentford make a mess of the resultant corner, though, and have to build again from midfield.

10' At the second attempt, Navas gathers the ball following a dipping strike towards the centre of his goal by Mbeumo, who tries his luck from around 20 yards out.

8' It's all Brentford at the moment, as the hosts flood forward and try to prise their way through Forest's low block. The visitors will be aiming to strike on the break, through their quick and incisive forward line.

6' After a good run by Gibbs-White, a low cross from Aurier on the right side of the box strays too close to Raya, who intercepts it in the centre of his six-yard box with Johnson lurking nearby.

5' Before this game, Brentford had suffered only two defeats from 16 Premier League matches on home soil - recording seven wins and seven draws in the process. Meanwhile, Forest have lost their last six away fixtures, conceding at least twice on each occasion.

3' At full stretch, Niakhate just extends his leg enough to cut out Jensen's free-kick into the Forest area, and the away side ultimately get the ball clear of danger.

1' The hosts kick off, and we are under way at Brentford Community Stadium!

The players are out on the pitch in West London, and kick-off is now just moments away!

Making just a single change to a winning Forest side, Cooper is forced to replace Neco Williams after the Welsh wing-back suffered a broken jaw against Brighton; Worrall comes into the starting XI as captain. Scott McKenna, Willy Boly and Dean Henderson all feature on a long injury list for the visitors.

Following Wednesday's win at Chelsea, Frank freshens up his Brentford team by making four changes: Hickey, Damsgaard, Schade and Mbeumo all start. Roerslev and Wissa are among those rested, while Pontus Jansson, Christian Norgaard and Kristoffer Ajer are all sidelined by injury.

SUBS: Wayne Hennessey, Cheikhou Kouyate, Remo Freuler, Jesse Lingard, Harry Toffolo, Ryan Yates, Sam Surridge, Emmanuel Dennis, Andre Ayew.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-1-2): Keylor Navas; Joe Worrall, Felipe, Moussa Niakhate; Serge Aurier, Danilo, Orel Mangala, Renan Lodi; Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson; Taiwo Awoniyi.

SUBS: Matthew Cox, Shandon Baptiste, Yoane Wissa, Mathias Jorgensen, Finley Stevens, Mads Roerslev, Saman Ghoddos, Frank Onyeka, Josh Dasilva.

BRENTFORD (4-3-3): David Raya; Aaron Hickey, Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee, Rico Henry; Mikkel Damsgaard, Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen; Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney, Kevin Schade.

Resuming their bid for Premier League survival, Forest edged out of the relegation zone in midweek, thanks to a 3-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at the City Ground. Forest's spirited second-half showing ended a run of 11 league matches without a win, but they are generally less effective on the road. In fact, Steve Cooper's side hold the worst away record throughout the top six tiers of English football, having taken six points on their travels this season; scoring just seven goals in the process.

Occupying ninth place in the Premier League table with just five games left to play, Brentford took maximum points at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, despite registering only a single shot on target in their 1-0 win over Chelsea. That success ended a six-match winless run for Thomas Frank's men, who are already assured of a third straight top-flight campaign next season. In the league, the Bees have lost just one of their last 12 home fixtures and have scored at least once in each of their last 10.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League clash between Brentford and Nottingham Forest at Brentford Community Stadium!

Brentford v Nottingham Forest Live Commentary, 29/04/2023

Key Events

Match Stats

Key

Commentary