Nottingham Forest will welcome Brentford to the City Ground tomorrow looking to make it 10 matches unbeaten in the Championship.
The Reds haven’t tasted defeat since the opening day of the season and a win could send Sabri Lamouchi’s team to the summit.
The Bees currently occupy 15th place in the league and will be looking for an away win to kick start their 2019/20 campaign.
Last weekend Thomas Frank’s side defeated Barnsley 3-1 and a former Forest transfer target notched a hat-trick.
(Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
Ollie Watkins was high on Mark Warburton’s list of transfer targets prior to the 2017/18 campaign, but the player declined the Reds, along with Leeds and Aston Villa, to sign for Brentford.
The youngster looks destined to play in the Premier League at some point and Forest supporters will hope he doesn’t come back to haunt the Reds tomorrow.
Following Neal Maupay’s departure to Brighton during the summer, the 23-year-old has found himself playing as the club’s main striker so far this season.
He has taken to his new role with absolute aplomb, scoring seven goals in 11 matches in the first two months of the campaign. Last season he typically operated on the wing, scoring 12 goals and registering nine assists.
The Forest back four must be on their guard tomorrow if they are to stop the prolific talisman adding to his goal total going into the international break.
It would be a real kick in the teeth should he produce a matchwinning performance at the City Ground, considering how close Forest were to securing his signature.
Forest rejection
Brentford paid just £1.8 million for his signature back in 2017, according to Sky Sports. He signed from Exeter where his form has caught the eye of several Championship sides, including Forest.
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Given Watkins’ current form, the Bees stand to make a huge profit on their in-form striking sensation and when they do lose him it will represent a sizeable blow.
Bizarrely Forest could perhaps do with a player like Watkins within their ranks right now. Although the team isn’t short of wide options, they are limited to either Lewis Grabban or the unproven Rafa Mir in the attack.
The Reds will simply hope that the Brentford man has an off-day this weekend and that Watkins returns to West London unhappy on Saturday evening.